Raised in Garland, Texas, LeAnn began her singing career before the age of 2. At 5, LeAnn won her first song and dance competition and informed her parents that she wanted to be in show business. She auditioned for and almost got the role of Annie II on Broadway, which only heightened her interest in performing.

Soon after, at the age of 8, she became a two-week champion on the television show, "Star Search." This led to her being a regular on "Johnnie High's Country Music Review Show" in Fort Worth, Texas. She gained more exposure when she stunned audiences with her powerful performances of "The Star Spangled Banner" at Dallas Cowboy football games. In 1995, she opened for Randy Travis at the Starplex in Dallas, and she made more than 100 concert appearances that year.

When LeAnn was 11, she recorded her debut album, After All, on the independent Nor Va Jak label. This album featured the song, "Blue," which was written for Pasty Cline. Cline died before recording the song, and the author, Bill Mack, thought LeAnn's voice was the perfect fit for a song that had sat dormant for almost 30 years. The album was recorded in the same studios in Clovis, N.M., where Buddy Holly recorded his first album. The LP turned heads in Nashville and sparked a bidding war over her talents.

LeAnn signed with Curb Records in 1996 and released her album, Blue. Besides a reworked version of "Blue," the album featured a duet with legend Eddy Arnold and his classic, "Cattle Call." The album debuted at No. 3 and sold more than 120,000 copies in the first week. LeAnn was nominated for the CMA Best Country Singer award as well as the Country Music Association Horizon award. Even though she didn't win either award, she became the youngest person ever to be nominated, at the age of 14.

Rimes' next release, Sittin' on Top of the World, came out in 1998. The CD included the single, "Looking Through Your Eyes," from the animated motion picture, "Quest for Camelot", and the hit single, "Commitment." In 1999, the Billboard, CMA, Academy of Country Music and Grammy award winner was very busy. She performed a duet, "Written in the Stars," with Elton John on his Aida album. She traveled to Europe and gave command performances for the Pope and the Queen of England. Yet, she found time to release her self-titled album, LeAnn Rimes, an album of classic covers, including "Crazy," "Faded Love," "Your Cheatin' Heart" and the single, "Big Deal."

In 2000, Rimes had four songs included in the soundtrack for the motion picture, Coyote Ugly. She also acted as a vocal double and even makes an appearance in the picture. During the course of the year, Rimes endured several legal decisions involving her father and her former co-manager and her record label. In early 2001, I Need You was released and featured tracks from Aida and Coyote Ugly. The album debuted in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart and at No. 1 on the country chart.

The little girl with the big voice is a star whose career is in high-gear with no speed limit ahead.