The 1990s seem like such a long time ago. The world of entertainment has changed so much since then. Many performers who were stellar ones back in the day have vanished off the music grid for various professional and personal reasons. Some passed away unexpectedly. Their music is definitely worth another listen today. We are taking a nostalgic look back at four forgotten country music artists from the 90s.
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Mary Chapin Carpenter
Now 66, Mary Chapin Carpenter had several successful charting songs in the 1990s including "Stones in the Road," which went to number 1, "What If We Went to Italy," "Rhythm of the Blues," and "Jubilee." Her background is interesting. Carpenter's dad was a among the higher-ups at Life magazine, and her mom was a musician. Carpenter graduated from Ivy-League Brown University, earning a degree in American civilization.
While The San Diego Troubadour acknowledges that Carpenter's "days of multi-platinum selling hit songs are long behind her," she nevertheless has very impressive accomplishments to her credit. She was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012, one of just 15 women accorded that honor. That put Carpenter in the company of legends like Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn. Per the outlet, "She has also won five Grammys, two Country Music Association (CMA) awards, and two Country Music Awards."
Deana Carter
Carter busted onto the country music scene in 1996 with her wittily-titled first album, Did I Shave My Legs for This? With a title like that, who could ignore it, right? Well, nobody ignored Carter. It sold more than five million copies and eventually went multi-platinum. That was just one facet of a promising beginning for her.
Her single. "Strawberry Wine," was a major hit. Per Carter's web site, "Her very first single off of her very first album went on to be named the Country Music Association's Single of the Year and Song of the Year in 1997, as well as nominated for a Grammy and an Academy of Country Music award."
Joe Diffie
Diffie had a slew of country music hits tinged with pop in the 1990s per The Boot, among them "A Night to Remember," "John Deere Green," and "Pickup Man." He was a member of the Grand Ole Opry and the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, per Diffie's bio on his web site. "By 1990, Diffie had signed with Epic Records and released his debut album A Thousand Winding Roads. His very first single, "Home," hit No. 1."
Diffie said, "I've always loved well-written songs. There's really no magic formula. I've just always drawn on my own experience whether it's falling in love or hanging out in a bar. I feel like if I relate to it, other people will too."
Diffie earned a collaborative Grammy and a collaborative CMA award.
Sadly, he died of COVID at the start of the pandemic in 2020. Diffie was just 61 years old.
Daryle Singletary
Singletary put himself on the country music map with hits such as "I'm Living Up To Her Low Expectations," "Too Much Fun," and "Let Her Lie," per catcountry98.7.com. It was Randy Travis who helped him get a break when he brought Singletary to the attention of his management team, which facilitated his eventual signing with Giant Records.
Making country music that people loved to hear was evidently his true passion - and Singletary was superb at his craft.
He said, "There's no magic formula. I just go out there and play the music I love and have a good time with it. Thankfully for us, there are still a lot of people out there who want to hear traditional country music and they've been finding their way to our shows all over the country."
Singletary died in 2018 at the age of 46 from an apparent heart attack.
