Country Singer
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$1 Million
"I needed New York to just see another side of myself, to open up my eyes a little bit to realize that there is life beyond Music Row." Sherrie Austin is a multi-talented performer from Sydney, Australia. Austin is a musician and singer who has spent time all around the world plying her trade. She's had four albums released under her name, several singles chart the Billboard Hot Country Songs List, and she's even made an appearance or two on Broadway!
While Austin is undeniably a rising talent, far too few people know her name, much less what has made her into the talented performer that she is today. In order to really get to know Sherrie Austin, buckle up. We're going to travel back to Austin's roots to see how she became an international music star and rising theatrical talent.
Born in Australia
Sherrie Veronica Krenn was born on August 28, 1970, in Sydney, Australia. Austin was raised in Australia though she would eventually make the move to America in order to pursue her career in music. Though she was talented from the start, Austin really hit the ground running with her music career. By the time that she was 14-years-old, Austin was opening concerts for the legendary Johnny Cash when he would play in Australia.
In her early years, Austin would spend plenty of time between set and studio as she developed her talents in both areas. Austin would become an international hit as a child thanks to her work on the hit sitcom, The Facts of Life in 1987. Austin would gradually make her move to America in order to fully pursue her dreams of becoming a country music artist, landing in Nashville, TN, in 1997. Once in America, Austin saw her star really begin to take off.
Turning to Country Music
For Sherrie Austin, the path to stardom has been long, curvy, and incredibly entertaining. At the age of 17-years-old, Austin would land a regular role on The Facts of Life as Pippa McKenna. During her year on the show, Austin would portray Pippa in 16 total episodes, with her final episode being The Beginning of the Beginning in 1988. While Austin found success as a child actor, it was clear that this wasn't her sole source of inspiration. Just a few years prior, Austin had opened for Johnny Cash during the Australian leg of his global tour. She had been only 14-years-old when she performed with her guitar for Cash and his fans. Needless to say, the 'country bug' got her pretty young.
After moving to Nashville in order to pursue music, Austin would settle into her first contract with the team at Arista Nashville. Her record, Words, would drop in 1997 with the lead track being "Lucky in Love" which was followed by "One Solitary Tear", "Put Your Heart Into It" and finally "Innocent Man". Both "Lucky in Love" and "Put Your Heart Into It" would reach the Top 40 mark on the country charts. Austin would follow her debut record up with another album in 1999, this one titled Love in the Real World. The album was slightly more successful as "Never Been Kissed" and "Little Bird" both charted in the Top 40. This record was followed by a third album, released under Madacy Entertainment, titled Followin' a Feelin'.
By this point in her career, Austin had left Hollywood almost completely behind. She had finished her career, to this point, with appearances in shows like Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys (2011), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1991), and Shadows of the Heart (1990). While Austin may have been done performing on camera, she was just getting started with regard to her performances. In 2005, Austin would move away from Nashville and into New York City. She would appear in a production of Bonnie & Clyde performed at the New York Musical Theater Festival. Austin received high praise from The New York Times as she was called 'sultry' and 'authentic' before culminating with this killer line, "It's easy to tell by her hip-swiveling poses that this is a woman who knows how to hold a stage."
After her success with Bonnie & Clyde, Austin would go on to appear in Ring of Fire, The Johnny Cash Musical Show at Ethel Barrymore Theatre. She would follow that production with another star-turning performance in Warrior, a musical about the American-Indian star athlete, Jim Thorpe. Again, Austin's performance would receive high praise. Following the completion of this theatrical run, Austin would end up moving back to Nashville.
Back in Nashville, Austin would release Streets of Heaven to critical and commercial acclaim. The record would produce the largest hit of her career as the title song, "Streets of Heaven", peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. The album was released under the label Broken Bow. Following the completion of the record, Austin would leave Broken Bow in order to start co-writing for a number of major country stars. Austin would collaborate with Danielle Peck on the 2007 track, "Bad for Me". Austin would also work with Blake Shelton on his 2008 album, Startin' Fires. Other notable names that Austin has collaborated with include Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and George Strait.
Austin's latest record is Circus Girl (2011). The album dropped after Austin had spent nearly eight years away from her last album release. According to Austin, Circus Girl is all about strong women. Austin claimed that she wanted to write a record for her female fans. The album was released independently under Austin's Circus Girl, LLC.
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