Le Ann Womack, "I Hope You Dance"

   This week I am writing about Le Ann Womack and her song, "I Hope You Dance". She was born in Texas on August 19, 1966. She was the second of two daughters. Her parents figured out at a young age she enjoyed listening to country music. Her father was a DJ and always took her and her sisters to pick out records. Le Ann studied the piano at a young age. Later on, she graduated from Jacksonville High School in 1984. After she graduated, she attended South Plains Junior College. That was the first place where they offered country music degrees. She became a member of the college band, Country Caravan. A year later, she enrolled to Belmont University in Nashville to study commercial ways of the music business. She interned at the A & R department of MCA Records. She studied at college until 1990. She left school a year before graduation. She spent a few years raising her kids before she reenter the music business.

   In May 1997, she released her self-titled debut album. Many people were not able to differentiate her from LeAnn Rimes but she kept her given name. Her first single, "Never Again, Again", went to the top five on the Billboard country charts. In 1998, she released her second album called "Some Things I Know". Also that year, she won top female vocalist at the CMT Awards and name Top Artist of the Year but Billboard magazine. Her first two singles "A Little Past Little Rock" and "I'll Think Of A Reason Later" on her second album album, Some Things I Know, went number two in the Billboard country charts. In 1999, she released some more hits and won favorite country new artist at the American Music Awards.
 
   The year of 2000, she released her third album, I Hope You Dance. This album was quite successful. The title track went to number one of the Billboard country charts for five weeks. It also was on the Billboard Hot 100. If you watch the music video for this song, you can see Le Ann's daughters appear in it. Later in 2000, the song "I Hope You Dance" won Song of the Year and Single of the Year. After this album, she produced a few more albums including, "Something Worth Leaving Behind", "There's More Where That Came From", and "Last Call". Overall, I would say she has made some great music and has been successful with it.

   I have always loved this song. My mom always listened to it when it first came out so I got hooked. She always sang it to me because ever since I was little, I always loved to dance. But when I listen to this song, I think about more than just dancing. It makes me think about taking chances and making choices. The lyrics say, "and when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance", and I think about how if I have a good opportunity, I better take it. Some times in life we get the chance for a good opportunity or the choice to do something good but we don't always take it. I think we have all took advantage of some things in life for granted. Like, when something good is right in front of you and you are too scared to take the chance to acknowledge it. Sometimes its hard to decide whether you are making the right choice or not. I think we have all been in that situation before. Life is full of choices to make and taking chances. I know that sometimes you have to make choices or take chances that you don't feel comfortable about. But that's why life isn't always easy. You have to take chances even if your not completely sure about them, because they may lead you to something good. Go ahead and make that choice you feel is right because it might work out in the end. In life, you gotta do these things because you never know how it will turn out. So check out Le Ann Womack and all her songs on YouTube or her personal website.