A woman of letters Country singer Gretchen Wilson branches out into writing

Gretchen Wilson is proving that it’s possible to be a redneck woman and a renaissance woman all at the same time.

The Illinois native, who will perform at 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 10, at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, has proven she has staying power. Her 2004 debut album, “Here for the Party,” went quadruple platinum, with shipments of more than 4 million copies. Her 2005 follow-up, “Jacked Up,” debuted at No. 1 on the overall and country Billboard charts.

Already a Grammy winner for “Redneck Woman,” the success of “Jacked Up” led to top female vocalist honors both from the Country Music Association and the American Music Awards. In this year’s just-announced nominations for the CMAs, Wilson is again up for Female Vocalist of the Year and also for Collaboration of the Year for “Politically Incorrect” with Merle Haggard.

Now the 33-year-old singer has added author to her list. Her autobiography, “Redneck Woman: Stories From My Life,” is due out from Warner Books in November. About the book, Wilson said, “”More than anything else, I wanted to write this book just to be able to connect on a different level with my fans. I haven’t had a chance to talk to them like this yet!”

In a field full of rags-to-riches stories, Wilson’s truly stands out. She was born when her mother was 16. Her father had disappeared by the time she was 2, and her single mother raised her in a series of trailer parks.

By age 14, equipped only with an eighth-grade education, Wilson was cooking and tending bar alongside her mother in a roughneck bar.

A year and a half later, she was living on her own and managing the joint, armed with a loaded shotgun under the bar. Wilson also honed her singing skills there, until she moved to Nashville in 1996.

She continued that pattern for years in Nashville, serving drinks while writing and singing her songs. One night, Big Kenny and John Rich (of Big & Rich) walked into her bar, and heard her sing. The busy Wilson gave Rich a business card and a demo, then proceeded to ignore his calls for months, until a friend explained to her who he was.

Rich introduced her to some friends, and Wilson soon became a member of the Muzik Mafia, a group of singers, songwriters and musicians who would informally get together to play once a week at a local nightclub. She improved her skills, and the connections she made eventually led to her deal with Sony Nashville in 2003.

During her short recording career, she has released such country hits as “Here for the Party,” “Redneck Woman,” “When I Think About Cheating,” “Homewrecker” and “All Jacked Up.”

As her latest single, “California Girls,” climbs the charts, Wilson, the mother of a 5-year-old daughter, is in the studio preparing her third album. Fans should expect to see a new side of her on it.

“So far, this is my favorite project that I’ve made,” she told CMT.com. “It’s a lot deeper. It seems like this year, with some of the changes that have happened in my life, I’ve learned a lot about myself. I’ve just opened up, and I’ve explored different parts of myself that I haven’t before. I had different things to say that I haven’t yet. It’s a really honest record.”

Tickets for the Gretchen Wilson concert, with special guest Josh Turner, are available by calling 775-3458 or 775-3331, or on the Web at ticketmaster.com.