Gretchen Peters

Gretchen Peters is an American singer and songwriter.

Early life Peters was born in Bronxville in affluent Westchester County, New York, on November 14, 1957 and spent her early childhood in nearby Pelham Manor. Her father was the journalist and filmmaker William Peters. In 1970, after her parents' divorce, Peters moved with her mother to Boulder, Colorado.

Music career alt=Singer Gretchen Peters performing while playing a guitar. In Boulder, she discovered a lively music scene, and began playing at local clubs. In 1988 she moved to Nashville, where she found work as a songwriter, composing hits for Martina McBride, Etta James, Trisha Yearwood, Patty Loveless, George Strait, Anne Murray, Shania Twain, Neil Diamond and co-writing songs with Bryan Adams. Some of Peters' notable compositions include "The Secret of Life", "On a Bus to St. Cloud", "You Don't Even Know Who I Am" and "Independence Day", for which she received the Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year. In addition, Peters has released fourteen studio albums of her own, beginning with 1996's The Secret of Life.

As a writer, Peters' style is defined by melancholy lyrics and dark themes, such as murder, loneliness, PTSD, sexual abuse, and domestic violence. She was inducted to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame on October 5, 2014.

In June 2021, the Academy of Country Music announced that they would honor Peters with the Poet's Award. Presented during the ACM Honors ceremony at the Ryman Auditorium on August 25, 2021, the award honors to a songwriter’s "outstanding and longstanding musical and/or lyrical contributions throughout their career, with special consideration given to a song or songs’ impact on the culture of country music."

On August 12, 2022, Peters announced her intention to retire from full-scale touring and completed a UK "farewell tour" in June 2023, though she will continue to write and record.

Personal life

Peters is married to keyboardist and producer Barry Walsh, her long-time performing partner, who has also performed with the reunified Box Tops.

Discography Studio albums Title Album details Peak positions UK Country UK The Secret of Life Release date: June 4, 1996 Label: Imprint Records 3 — Gretchen Peters Release date: February 13, 2001 Label: Purple Crayon Records 7 — Halcyon Release date: May 31, 2004 Label: Purple Crayon Records 7 — Burnt Toast & Offerings Release date: August 7, 2007 Label: Scarlet Letter Records 6 — Northern Lights Release date: October 21, 2008 Label: Scarlet Letter Records — — One to the Heart, One to the Head(with Tom Russell) Release date: February 1, 2009 Label: Scarlet Letter Records 4 — Hello Cruel World Release date: January 31, 2012 Label: Scarlet Letter Records 1 70 Blackbirds Release date: February 10, 2015 Label: Scarlet Letter Records 1 39 Dancing with the Beast Release date: May 18, 2018 Label: Scarlet Letter Records 2 87 The Night You Wrote That Song Release date: May 15, 2020 Label: Scarlet Letter Records 1 — "—" denotes releases that did not chart

Live albums Title Album details Peak positions UK Country Compliatons Trio: Recorded Live Release date: March 28, 2006 Label: Purple Crayon Records 3 Woman on the Wheel: Live from the Hello Cruel World Tour 2012 (Limited Edition Book/CD/DVD) Release date: May 7, 2013 Label: Scarlet Letter Records — The Show: Live from the UK Release date: August 19, 2022 Label: Scarlet Letter Records 1 "—" denotes releases that did not chart

Compilation albums Title Album details Peak positions UK Country Compliatons Circus Girl: The Best Of(single CD and 2-CD versions) Release date: May 12, 2009 Label: Scarlet Letter Records 2 The Essential Gretchen Peters Release date: January 29, 2016 Label: Scarlet Letter Records 1 "—" denotes releases that did not chart

Singles Year Single Peak positions Album US Country 1996 "When You Are Old" 68 The Secret of Life "I Ain't Never Satisfied" — 2012 "Hello Cruel World" — Hello Cruel World "—" denotes releases that did not chart

Guest singles Year Single Artist Peak positions Album US Country 1999 "New Year's Eve 1999" Alabama 55

Music videos Year Video Director 1996 "When You Are Old" Bud Schaetzle2012"The Matador"Bud Schaetzle 2015 "Blackbirds" Eric Power 2018 "Arguing With Ghosts" Joshua Britt & Neilson Hubbard/Neighborhoods Apart

Awards and nominations

Year Association Category Nominated work Result 1995 Country Music Association Song of the Year "Independence Day" 1995 Grammy Awards Best Country Song 1996 Grammy Awards "You Don't Even Know Who I Am" 1996 Academy of Country Music Song of the Year 2002 Golden Globes Best Original Song "Here I Am" 2016 UK Americana Association International Album of the Year Blackbirds 2016 UK Americana Association International Artist of the Year Gretchen Peters 2016 UK Americana Association International Song of the Year (shared with Ben Glover) "Blackbirds" 2021 Academy of Country Music Poet's Award Gretchen Peters