The daughter of singer George Morgan, she made her first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry at age thirteen, performing Marie Osmond's "Paper Roses." Her father died when she was sixteen.
When her father died in 1975, she took over his band and began leading the group through various club gigs. Within a few years she disbanded the group, and in 1977 she went on to play with the Little Roy Wiggins band. She then became a receptionist and demo singer at Acuff-Rose, where she also wrote songs.
In 1978, she had one minor hit single; the following year another minor hit with "I'm Completely Satisfied", an electronically dubbed duet with her late father. She began touring Nashville nightclubs and opened for a number of acts, including Jack Greene, Billy Thunderkloud, and Jeannie Seely. She toured as a duet partner with George Jones and spent two years as part of the Opryland USA bluegrass show and as a regular singer on TNN's Nashville Now.
In 1983, TNN was launched as the first cable network devoted to country music. Morgan was a regular on the show Nashville Now, singing towards the end of each show.
In 1984, Morgan scored a minor hit with "Don't Go Changing". That year she became the youngest singer ever to join the Grand Ole Opry.
In 1988, Morgan was signed with RCA Records, her first major label.
In 1989, Morgan's first album Leave the Light On was released; "Trainwreck of Emotion" became her first Top 20 hit, followed by her first major hit with "Dear Me".
In 1990, Morgan had her first number one single, "Five Minutes". That song was also featured in her album Leave the Light On, which went gold.
In 1991, Morgan's second album Something in Red went platinum. Morgan married her third husband Brad Thompson, bus driver of Clint Black.
In 1992, Morgan's third album Watch Me was released on RCA's newest label, BNA Records, spawning the number one single "What Part of No".
In 1993, Morgan was the first female country artist to have three albums in a row to be certified platinum. Morgan's romantic life gained tabloid attention with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman following her third divorce.
In 1994, Morgan was voted Female Vocalist of the Year by the fans in TNN's Music City News awards. She would earn this honor again in 1996, 1997 and 1998. She also appeared on Frank Sinatra's Duets II album, singing a version of "How Do You Keep the Music Playing" intertwined with Sinatra's "My Funny Valentine".
In 1995, Morgan had another number one song on the Country Charts called "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" from her Greatest Hits CD.
In 1996, Morgan was featured on the Beach Boys' now out-of-print album Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 performing a cover of their 1964 hit "Don't Worry Baby". The Beach Boys provided the harmonies and backing vocals.
Personal life
======================
Morgan is known for her turbulent personal life -- she told Larry King in an interview that "drama is something that lets you know you're still alive." As of 2006, she is married to singer Sammy Kershaw; they were separated at one point but apparently have since reconciled. Kershaw is her fifth husband; she was married to country singer Keith Whitley from 1986 until his death in 1989. They had one child together, a son, Jesse Keith Whitley, born in 1987. She also has a daughter Morgan from her first marriage. Prior to Kershaw she was involved in a lengthy relationship with Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Troy Aikman.
[edit] U.S. Senator Fred Thompson and Lorrie Morgan (1994-1996)
Morgan was also romantically linked from 1994 to 1996 with actor, lobbyist, former U.S. Senator from Tennessee (and former Hendersonville, Tennessee resident), and possible 2008 Republican Presidential candidate Fred Dalton Thompson.
In her book Forever Yours, Faithfully: My Love Story, Morgan states that:
It was great to go out with an older man [Fred Thompson] who was very successful on his own. I felt very secure with him, and he became a wonderful friend, a caring, inspirational man who would encourage me not to doubt myself (which, maybe you can tell by now, is one of my best things).
Fred is an extremely generous man. He wined and dined me and bought me presents --- furs, earrings, Chanel shoes with real high heels.
For a while, I enjoyed my first exposure to politics. It was interesting to hear about political conversations, and people even began talking about Fred as a potential president. It was inevitable that I would be sitting at a glamorous party and would have the flickering thought, So, this is what it's like to be a First Lady. Hell, I could handle that. Then I would say, "Oops, better drop the 'hell'"
I put myself to the task of being a great companion to a stimulating and important man, and as a result I become boring. I lost my spunk, my spontaneity, I had to stop and think about the political implications of everything before I uttered a word in public. Was this a Democratic issue? Was this a Republican issue? I could not trust my best asset, my gut instincts. In other words, I could not be myself.
Fred let me know that it was important how I dressed. Sedate was in. Even if I felt like a little flair that night, forget it --- we might be with men who had big wallets and insecure wives, wives who were a little older than I was. So get that basic black dress out of the closet. And no cleavage, baby.
Fred's senator buddies loved me, and some of my friends said that they never seen me happier. For a while, I wanted to marry Fred, but I knew he could not accept me as I am.
Forever Yours, Faithfully: My Love Story. pp. 262-263. Lorrie Morgan with George Vecsey. 1997. Ballantine Books. ISBN 0-345-41297-4
War Paint
Lorrie Morgan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You want to say you know that I look nice
I sit in desperate silence and I listen
And with a cutting eye,you know you'd better look twice
''cause I'm putting on my war paint
I'm on the path again
And before you say it looks great
Red is for the anger that you put me through
And for all those nights I felt alone,will see a shade of blue
I'll add a dash of yellow for the power that you've been
And the black will be your night ahead
And my shadow in your bed
I'm putting on my war paint
There's nothing you can say to make it better
And there's no apology to change my mind
I guess I could have sent a "Dear John" letter
But it's written on my face,it's war paint time
''cause I'm putting on my war paint
I'm on the path again
And before you say it looks great
You'd better look again
I'm putting on my war paint
I'm on the path again
I'm putting on my war paint
I'm on the path again
I'm putting on my (War Paint)
Red is for the anger that you put me through
In the song "War Paint," Lorrie Morgan sings about a woman who has been hurt by a man and is preparing to leave him. The lyrics indicate that the man is trying to make amends and telling her that she looks nice, but she is not interested in his apologies. As she sits in front of her mirror, she begins to apply her "war paint," which is a metaphor for her anger and determination to leave the relationship.
The song uses colors to represent the different emotions the woman is feeling. Red symbolizes anger, blue represents sadness, yellow represents power, and black represents the darkness of the man's future without her. The woman is taking control of the situation and asserting her power by applying the war paint. She knows that the man will see it and be reminded of the pain he has caused her.
Overall, "War Paint" is a powerful anthem for women who have been mistreated in relationships. The song encourages women to take control of their lives and leave toxic relationships, reminding them that they deserve better.
Line by Line Meaning
You come in while I'm sitting at the mirror
The singer is getting ready in front of the mirror when the person comes into the room.
You want to say you know that I look nice
The person wants to compliment the singer on their appearance.
I sit in desperate silence and I listen
The singer is listening to what the person has to say and feeling anxious.
And with a cutting eye,you know you'd better look twice
The artist is giving the person a warning look, implying they should be careful with their words.
''cause I'm putting on my war paint
The artist is preparing herself for a battle or confrontation.
I'm on the path again
The singer has taken this route before and knows how to handle the situation.
And before you say it looks great
The person should think twice before complimenting the singer again.
You'd better look again
The person needs to pay closer attention to the artist's appearance.
Red is for the anger that you put me through
The artist is using the color red to represent the anger they feel towards the person.
And for all those nights I felt alone,will see a shade of blue
The artist is using the color blue to represent the sadness they felt during lonely nights.
I'll add a dash of yellow for the power that you've been
The singer is using the color yellow to show the power the person had over them.
And the black will be your night ahead
The artist is using the color black to represent the difficult times the person will face as a result of their actions.
And my shadow in your bed
The singer's 'shadow' will be present in the person's bed as a reminder of their wrongdoings.
There's nothing you can say to make it better
The person cannot say anything to fix the situation.
And there's no apology to change my mind
Even an apology from the person will not sway the singer's decision.
I guess I could have sent a 'Dear John' letter
The artist could have written a letter to end the relationship, but has chosen a more dramatic approach.
But it's written on my face, it's war paint time
The artist has chosen to display their emotions on their face as a symbol of strength and readiness for a confrontation.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: TOM CURTIS SHAPIRO, LORRIE MORGAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind