9781422273258

CHAPTER 1

A STAR

IS BORN

FROM NASHVILLE TO THE GRAMMY STAGE

After the debut of “Merry Go ‘Round,” Musgraves was hoping that the hype from the song would help her debut album. She released the album Same Trailer, Different Park a few months after her single, and it debuted strongly at No. 2 on the Billboard charts. “Merry Go ‘Round” was also slowly breaking through on the radio, peaking at No. 12 on the country charts. She was far from a household name, but with a few tour dates and decent sales, Musgraves felt her hard work was paying off. What she didn’t expect was for her first ever single to eventually be honored with the most prestigious award in music! When the 2014 Grammy nominations came out, Musgraves was far from home—on tour in Milwaukee and playing a small theater show for her fans. She didn’t expect a nomination. In fact, she was onstage when they came out! The tour manager came on over her in-ear microphone with the big news. When he said she was nominated for Best Country Song, Best Country Album, and Best NewArtist, she couldn’t believe it. “I was just floored,” Musgraves remembered. It was a big deal—with that many nominations,

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a star is born