Beth Nielsen Chapman

A Texas-born country singer-songwriter based in Nashville, Beth Nielsen Chapman has had songs recorded by leading singers including Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson and Elton John. She released her debut Hearing It First in 1980. After a period of absence, her ‘Strong Enough to Bend,’ written for Tanya Tucker, reached No. 1 on the country chart in 1988 and contributed to Tucker's Grammy nomination for Best Female Country Vocal Performance that year. Willie Nelson's ‘Nothing I Can Do About It Now’ also topped the country chart in 1989. This album appeared as Beth's songs continued to achieve success.

Its airy, acoustically based sound and lyrics that honestly reflect a woman's inner life beautifully show the influence of the West Coast singer-songwriters she herself loved to listen to as a teenager. As Nashville's role as a production centre for old-style country was ending, this collection also gives a sense of the new generation's already developing maturity.