Danni Leigh

Not to be confused with DaniLeigh.
Danni Leigh
Born
Michelle Sheetz

(1970-02-09) February 9, 1970 (age 54)
Strasburg, Virginia, US
Occupations
  • Singer
  • businesswoman
Years active1998–present
SpouseMike McKenzie
Children1
Musical career
OriginNashville, Tennessee, US
GenresCountry
InstrumentVocals
Labels

Michelle Sheetz[1] (born February 9, 1970), better known as Danni Leigh, is an American country music singer.[2] At age 19, she relocated to Orlando, Florida, intending to audition as a singer at Disney World, but ended up moving to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1994.[3]

She was signed with Audium Records,[4] after changing labels several times,[5] following Decca's closure, and her by Sony's Monument label.[6] Although she has limited success in the US, she has had more success in Europe due to the different methods consumers learn about new music.[5] Over time, she has also developed a following in Korea, Brazil, and Japan.[7] In 1999, she was nominated for the Rising Star Trophy, a British Country Music Award.[8] In 2001, she released A Shot of Whiskey and a Prayer.[9]

Leigh has also performed a number of small gigs in the Austin, Texas, area,[10] where she moved in 2002.[11]

As her career declined in the US, Leigh later moved again, this time to Spain, many years later and performed elsewhere in Europe and Asia. She even reached the rest of South America. During the tours, she met and eventually married her bandmate Mike McKenzie.[1] The couple returned to Nashville in order to restart her career, but the birth of her only child, a son, in 2010 led her to emphasize both motherhood and becoming a businessperson. Leigh then moved with her husband back to Strasburg, Virginia, her birthplace, where she started her boutique-cum-fitness studio in 2018 and opened another in Winchester.[1]

  1. ^ a b c "Country musician singing a new tune, opens downtown business". The Winchester Star. August 23, 2018. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  2. ^ "Danni Leigh". AllMusic. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
  3. ^ "Danni Leigh: Biography". CMT. Archived from the original on March 15, 2004. Retrieved February 3, 2008.
  4. ^ Jerry Renshaw (July 21, 2001). "One More For Her". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved February 3, 2008.
  5. ^ a b Joel Bernstein (March 2001). "Danni Leigh No Worries with a 'Shot of Whiskey and a Prayer'". Country Standard Time. Retrieved February 3, 2008.
  6. ^ Michael Gray (April 2, 2001). "Sony Deals Danni Leigh a Parting 'Shot'". CMT. Retrieved February 3, 2008.[dead link]
  7. ^ Edward Morris (April 4, 2000). "Danni Leigh Is Off to a Second Start". CMT. Retrieved February 3, 2008.[dead link]
  8. ^ "British Country Music Awards". CMT. February 24, 1999. Retrieved February 3, 2008.[dead link]
  9. ^ "Danni Leigh Takes Shot At Country Big Time". MTV News. July 2, 2000. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
  10. ^ Christopher Gray (August 27, 2004). "Bombs Over Baghdad". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved February 3, 2008.
  11. ^ John T. Davis (October 4, 2002). "Immigrant Song". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved February 3, 2008.