finetune artist: Danni Leigh

b. 9 February 1970, Strasburg, Virginia, USA. Dubbed "the female Dwight Yoakam" by some country music writers, Danni Leigh rose to prominence after recording a demo album to pitch for a recording contract in Nashville. It was produced by Michael Knox, son of 50s rockabilly artist Buddy Knox, whom she met while waiting tables at Nashville's Bluebird Caf. Among her other past careers was a spell as an instructor for bungee jumpers. Leigh also signed with Warner Chappell Music as a writer, a publishing company for whom Knox works as an executive. The first person to be seriously interested in their joint project was Mark Wright at Decca Records. Among the songs they recorded were "If The Jukebox Took Teardrops", written by fellow Bluebird graduates Mark Irwin and Mike Henderson. Leigh herself co-wrote the title track with Tommy Connors and Doug Swander, the lyric inspired by her feelings of release after the end of a long-term relationship. Also included was a cover version of Willie Nelson's 1962 hit, "Touch Me". The failure of Leigh to break through led to the termination of her recording contract, although the company did see fit to release her follow-up album. Leigh subsequently signed a new contract with Audium Records. No further recordings were forthcoming until 2007 when she released an excellent collection Masquerade Of A Fool.

Listen to Danni Leigh at Finetune.

If the Jukebox Took Teardrops
I Feel A Heartache Coming On
Beatin' My Head Against the Wall
Ol' Lonesome
29 Nights

angam