Where Are They Now: Mary Chapin Carpenter

Mary Chapin Carpenter has had a song-writer's life. Which is good because she is a legendary one. As a performer, she's a natural. You may not hear her new songs on the radio, but she is going strong.

Let's go back to how it began for Chapin Carpenter. Her Dad was an executive for Life magazine. She was born in Princeton, New Jersey, lived in Japan for a time (where her Dad was based) and then the family settled in Washington, DC. She graduated from Brown University (Ivy League college) with a degree in American Civilization.  It was a perfect course of study for a woman who would go on to write about the human condition.

In her Country career, she only had one number 1 hit, Shut Up and Kiss Me but she was consistently on the radio throughout the 90's with hits like Down At The Twist And Shout , I Feel Lucky, Passionate Kisses and He thinks He'll Keep Her. She wrote many songs for other artists like Wynonna.  She was going strong until 2007. 

That's when, as she was on stage performing, she was in great pain in her chest and back then became breathless. She was rushed to the ER where she was diagnosed with a life threatening pulmonary embolism. She bounced back from that to go through a divorce and the loss of her Father.

Through it all, she keeps writing, recording and performing. Did you know she won 5 Grammy Awards in the 90's? She was also nominated in 2010 for her album The Age of Miracles. Her latest album, Ashes and Roses deals with loss and getting through it.

Not to be pigeon-holed, Mary Chapin Carpenter won an Emmy Award with Nashville Public Television for her narration of the documentary Not Going Back: Women and the War. 

No matter what, Mary Chapin Carpenter will continue to put out music and bring it to fans. She can't be labeled by any particular genre of music, like Country, anymore but that works for her! To learn more, visit her website here.  And enjoy the videos of MCC tnow and then.