"Gretchen Wilson broke the trend of male dominance on the country charts with her 2004 debut single ""Redneck Woman."" Her introduction to the world was truly explosive, as ""Redneck Woman"" was the fastest rising single in nearly a decade and helped her coinciding album debut at number one on the country charts and number two on the pop charts. She quickly solidified herself not only as a standout country music act, but as an artist with heavy mainstream appeal as well.Wilson didn't have the easiest of times growing up in Illinois. Born to a teenage mother, Wilson saw her father leave when she was a toddler. She never finished school and was working full time at an age when most kids are still wearing braces. She eventually moved to Nashville to pursue a singing career. It was during the years she spent bartending, recording demos and writing music that she penned the gem that would become ""Redneck Woman,"" an autobiographical tune about her heritage.She was signed to a record deal after auditioning for Epic and exploded onto the country music scene with ""Redneck Woman"" in 2004. The enormous success of the single prompted Epic to rush release her debut album, Here for the Party. Wilson was anything but shy on her debut record, telling it like it was on each and every track and pulling no punches in the process. Her brash attitude and rip roarin' sound made immediate waves.Her sophomore record, All Jacked Up, followed the lead of her debut and soared to the top of the charts. The album, as was the case with its predecessor, was not lacking in the attitude department and proved to be a big hit with fans. In 2007 Wilson released her third album, One of the Boys, for which Wilson wrote most of the material herself."
