In the ten years of heavy gigging and drinking before her first album,
Carpenter progressed from nervy club nights to bar circuit engagements. After having kicked the bottle and concentrating on writing, a 1986 demo won a deal with
Columbia and became her acclaimed debut
Hometown Girl. Success followed with
State Of The Heart (1989) while 1990's
Shooting Straight In The Dark and a scene-stealing
Country award show performance paved the way for platinum-sellers
Come On Come On (1992) - featuring fellow
Country queens
Shawn Colvin Indigo Girls and
Rosanne Cash- and
Stones In The Road (1994).
After a huge-grossing 1995 tour, she released A Place In The World, and two of her songs were developed into children's books: Dreamland and, in 1998, Halley Came To Jackson.
Sources: WMCC
www.dopig.uab.edu/people/ctichenor/chapin.html