Born in Nashville on January 4, 1966, with a father who worked as a studio guitarist, Deana Carter was surrounded by music from an early age. Her father, Fred Cater, Jr. worked with Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Waylon Jennings, Simon and Garfunkel and other big names; so Deana was personally introduced to many of these artists from a young age. Even today the music of these great musicians continues to influence her art.

Growing up, Deana's life was that of a typical popular girl in the American story. Cheerleading and student government featured strongly in her teenage years. Her mother was a stable and hardworking woman who strove to give Deana and her brothers, Ronnie and Jeff, a strong foundation of love and positive family relationships.

Deana's big disappointment growing up was that her first attempts to get a signing contract, at the age of 17, met with disinterest. After a series of failed attempts, she decided that she would pursue a job in the medical field and went to college. It was not until 5 years later, at the age of 23, that she realized that she still wanted to pursue a career in music. She learned the guitar for the first time and began to write her own music. Working odd jobs, she avidly pursued working on her music and writing skills.

Eventually one of her demo tapes found its way into the hands of Willie Nelson, who was impressed by her music and remembered her as a child. He gave Deana her big break by inviting her to play as the only female artist on the bill for Farm Aide VII in 1994. A year later she found herself signed on with Capitol Nashville. Her debut album was released in 1996, landing strong reviews. Deana's success story is known as one of the most endearing since Garth Brooks' meteoric rise.