Gretchen Wilson

Music career Here for the Party

Wilson signed with Epic Records in 2003 and recorded Here for the Party within the year. Her first single, "Redneck Woman", was released in early 2004 and reached the top of the Hot Country Songs charts and No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100. This song was also the first number one country hit by a female in two years. The success of "Redneck Woman" prompted an earlier-than-planned release for Here for the Party, and it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard country chart. It reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and Billboard Internet album sales charts. She performed as a support artist for Brooks & Dunn and Montgomery Gentry.

She released the title track to her debut album as the second single. It peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard country chart. Two other songs were released as singles, and both reached the top 10. Released in markets outside the U.S., the album hit No. 2 on the Australian country charts (behind Kasey Chambers) and the top 50 of the Australian charts. Here for the Party was certified 5× multi-platinum by the RIAA.

All Jacked Up On September 27, 2005, Wilson released her second album, All Jacked Up, Wilson then launched Redneck Records, her own record label. "Work Hard, Play Harder" was released to radio on October 26, 2009, as the first single from the label and her fourth studio album, I Got Your Country Right Here, was finally released on March 30, 2010. Her former label, Columbia Nashville, released her first Greatest Hits album on January 19, 2010, to finish off her recording contract.

On July 31, 2008, The Black Crowes filed a lawsuit against Wilson for copyright violation, alleging that her song "Work Hard, Play Harder" copied the Crowes song "Jealous Again". Also included in the suit were her label Sony BMG, her publishing company, and the cable network TNT, which had been using the song in commercials. The lawsuit was eventually settled out of court for an undisclosed sum and Black Crowes members Chris and Rich Robinson were given songwriting credits.

Right on Time, Under the Covers and Christmas in My Heart Wilson released an album of original songs titled Right on Time on April 2, 2013. It was led by the single "Still Rollin'". A collection of rock covers titled Under the Covers was released on June 4, 2013. Wilson released her first Christmas album, Christmas in My Heart, on October 8, 2013.

Other ventures

Rock music Wilson has also attracted favorable attention for her rendition of classic rock songs by Heart – a group which she sees as "one of the biggest influences on my musical career".

She has appeared several times on the same stage as lead singer Ann Wilson and guitarist Nancy Wilson, once describing the experience as "beyond a dream come true".

She has sung "Straight On", which she performed with Alice in Chains and Nancy Wilson on guitar at the 2007 VH1 Rock Honors. She also performed, with Randy Bachman, the classic Who track "Who Are You" on the album Who Are You – An All Star Tribute to the Who. She performed on Buckcherry's single "The Feeling Never Dies" (from the album Rock 'n' Roll), which was released on January 29, 2016.

She has sung "Even It Up", "Rock and Roll" and "Barracuda", which she performed with Heart, Jerry Cantrell, Dave Navarro, Duff McKagan, Rufus Wainwright and Carrie Underwood at the Decades Rock Live!.

Television In 2025, Wilson competed in season thirteen of The Masked Singer as "Pearl" and won the season. She then did an encore of "Redneck Woman" while Nick Cannon, Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, Ken Jeong, Rita Ora, and Andy Grammer (who finished in second place as "Boogie Woogie") danced in the background.

Wilson joined the cast of a new music competition show, The Road, which premiered on CBS in the fall of 2025. She will serve in the role of 'Tour Manager' alongside co-stars Keith Urban and Blake Shelton as they travel America looking for the "next big musician" who will open for Urban on tour.

Sports In , Wilson sang the national anthem before Game 4 of the World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Memorial Stadium as a long-time fan of the Cardinals.

In April 2010, Wilson released a customized version of "Work Hard, Play Harder" in honor of the National Hockey League's Nashville Predators, with reworked lyrics mentioning the team and its fans.

She also sponsors a women's softball team in Pierron, Illinois.

Political activism Wilson sang the National Anthem (blended with a voice-over of the Pledge of Allegiance) to a national audience at the Republican National Convention on September 3, 2008, later describing this as a "once-in-a-lifetime" experience at a "historic moment." Wilson and her band also performed during a rally for Republican presidential candidate John McCain and vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin at Lunken Airport in Cincinnati, Ohio, on October 22, 2008, to a crowd of approximately 12,000 supporters. Palin started the rally by exclaiming that she couldn't wait to get Wilson's autograph. Wilson played a version of the Heart song "Barracuda" for Palin.

In September 2024, she appeared at a Wisconsin rally for presidential candidate Donald Trump, where she sang "Redneck Woman" and then addressed the crowd from the podium. She said, "the American dream that I have been fortunate enough to find will more most certainly be lost forever if we do not show up and vote for freedom in November. It is on us. Let's make sure we, the people, do all we can to save our country by voting for President Trump and JD Vance."

Personal life Wilson shares a daughter with ex-boyfriend Mike Penner.

On August 21, 2018, Wilson was charged with breach of peace at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.

Wilson has had various health issues, including a severe case of long COVID as well as a fractured leg.

Awards 2005 CMA Female Vocalist of the Year 2004 ACM Top Female Vocalist 2004 ACM Top New Artist 2004 CMA Horizon Award

Grammy Awards history

Discography

Studio albums Here for the Party (2004) All Jacked Up (2005) One of the Boys (2007) I Got Your Country Right Here (2010) Right on Time (2013) Under the Covers (2013) Ready to Get Rowdy (2017)