Kathy Mattea

Kathy Mattea has enjoyed the kind of success many artists only dream of: two Grammy wins, four CMA Awards, five Gold albums, and a Platinum collection of her greatest hits. Mattea’s dream almost ended, though, when she entered her 50s and found her voice changing. There was no getting around the fact that she simply wasn’t hitting the notes she used to. Taking the stage and giving anything less than her best wasn’t an option, so as far as Mattea was concerned, there were only two choices: re-learn to sing or walk away forever.

Mattea persevered, though, undergoing intensive vocal training and emerging with the most poignant album of her career, Pretty Bird. Recorded over the course of a year with roots music wizard Tim O’Brien at the helm, Pretty Bird draws its strength not only from Mattea’s touching performances, but also from her uncanny ability to weave seemingly disparate material into a cohesive whole.