NEW YORK — When it comes to fashion, country singer LeAnn Rimes has a West Coast sensibility.
“When I lived in Los Angeles, I was into vintage Ts and that laid-back kind of vibe,” said Rimes, 22, at The Boathouse in Central Park last week, where she was promoting her Christmas album, “What a Wonderful World.”
Her favorite Los Angeles boutiques include Lisa Kline and Ron Herman, but when she’s in New York, she always makes a stop at Barneys New York and Bergdorf Goodman. A self-proclaimed “jeans addict,” Rimes cited Citizens of Humanity, True Religion and Juicy Couture as some of her favorites. “And I just love Rebecca Taylor,” the singer added. “She’s one of my favorite designers.”
Although she’s a native Mississippian, Rimes is a Nashville girl at heart. And she wants to set the record straight about her current hometown: country doesn’t equate to cowgirl.
“Everyone perceives the style in Nashville to be cowgirl, but it’s really not,” she said. “It’s growing and it’s really funky and starting to catch up to the styles you’d see in Atlanta.”
Rimes has teamed up with J.C. Penney to support after-school programs across the country through the sale of her Christmas album, the net profits from which will fund after-school programs of the YMCA of the USA, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, 4-H and Junior Achievement. The album, which went on sale last month, is available at most Penney’s nationwide and retails for $13.99. Penney’s expects to sell roughly 300,000 copies. Penney’s and J.C. Penney Afterschool have contributed more than $41 million to support after-school initiatives since 2001.
Rimes, who married dancer Dean Sheremet in 2002, was especially moved by the cause. “I’m at the age now where I think about starting a family, so this is very important to me,” she said. She had the opportunity recently to spend time with some children who will benefit from the additional funds to their programs.
“I got to see kids just being kids,” she said. “It’s nice for me to see what I missed out on. I kind of leapt ahead of everyone else. Sometimes I think, ‘Why did I want to grow up so fast?’”
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By the age of 13, Rimes had a number one single on the Billboard country charts with “Blue.” That same year, she walked away with a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and the Best New Artist award — a feat never before achieved by a country musician. Rimes has so far sold more than 27 million albums worldwide.
“What a Wonderful World” is her first Christmas album, though.
“Even though fans have been asking for this for years, I really had to wait for my voice to mature,” she said. “I’m reminded of that when I revisit songs I did when I was 13 years old.”
Rimes kicked off a holiday tour this week in New Jersey that wraps up in late December, when she’ll begin taping episodes for the third season of “Nashville Star,” the USA Network’s national talent search for the next great country music star.
“It’s kind of like ‘American Idol,’ but its basis is in country music and Nashville,” she said. “The great thing about this show is it really sets itself apart from what’s out there already. It’s really musical. The singers all write their own songs and have a live band playing with them. That’s really what Nashville is about.”