CD review - The Best of LeAnn Rimes (From Barry And District News)

CD review - The Best of LeAnn Rimes

AT THE tender age of 21, it's hard to believe that LeAnn Rimes could have a 'best of' album out.

But she has. And it's quite nice actually.

'Nice' is such a non-descript word, but it does fit in this instance.

That she has talent is undeniable, but the songs included on this album are of the same genre; soft Country and Western, with a Patsy Cline lilt, like the Cline cover Crazy and How Do I Live. They are lovely to sit back and relax with, but apart from the Latino mix of Can't Fight The Moonlight, you won't really be tempted to jig around the living room.

Born Margaret LeAnn Rimes on August 28, 1982, the blond songbird started warbling at an incredibly young age.

Her parents Wilbur and Belinda apparently have tapes of LeAnn singing 'The Judds' Have Mercy at 18-months old, and she won a song and dance competition when she was only five years old.

Setting out on the road to stardom when she was just eight, LeAnn was the winner for two weeks on Star Search, singing Don't Worry About Me

But her first big break was when a Dallas disc jockey heard the nine-year-old sing the national anthem at a sporting event and knew he'd found the voice for his song Blue, one he had penned 40 years prior for Patsy Cline.

Making a cameo appearance in the popular movie Coyote Ugly, LeAnn sang a duet with the film's heroine Violet Sanford, played by the demure Piper Perabo. Already established in her own right, this accolade only increased Rimes' profile.

Demanding respect from stars in both the pop and Country and Western domains, LeAnn Rimes is a solid bet for future successes.