Margaret LeAnn Rimes Cibrian is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She originally rose to success as a country music artist at the age of 13 and has since crossed over into pop, contemporary Christian, and other musical genres. Rimes has placed more than 40 singles on international charts since 1996. She has sold more than 48 million records worldwide, with 20.8 million album sales in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Billboard ranked her at number 17 in terms of sales success in the 1990–1999 decade.
Born in Mississippi and raised in Texas, Rimes demonstrated a unique singing ability from a young age. Through her parents' efforts, Rimes began performing in various musical theater and local music contests. Working with her father Wilbur as producer and manager, Rimes released two independent albums as a preteen. After signing with Curb Records in 1996, she released the single "Blue", which became a top-10 hit on the American Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. Her first Curb album and third overall, Blue was certified Platinum six times and established her as a major country artist.