{{short description|American county music singer-songwriter (born 1978)}} {{multiple issues| {{BLP sources|date=May 2012}} {{lead rewrite|date=May 2012}} }}

'''Shawna Gayle Russell''' (born August 14, 1978) is an American country music singer, songwriter and musician from Okemah, Oklahoma. Russell’s musical style combines country, rock and Americana influences. To date, Russell has released three albums.<ref>{{cite web|website=All Music Guide|title=Artist Shawna Russell|url= http://www.allmusic.com/artist/shawna-russell-p1024003/discography|accessdate=2012-05-04|df=mdy-all}} </ref>

==Early life== Russell was born to Keith and Teresa Russell in Holdenville, Oklahoma. Russell married Brandon Burnett on Oct. 5, 1998.

==Musical career== Russell first sang in public at age seven. When she was thirteen, she and her father Keith Russell formed a country band that played clubs and Elks Club lodges on weekends. At age 17, she joined her uncle Tim Russell's band and toured the club circuit across the Southwestern United States. Russell honed her vocals and developed her talent on acoustic rhythm, electric slide and lead guitar. The band toured clubs and other venues across the country, including the Grizzly Rose in Denver, Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth, and the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville. Russell then spent three years doing vocals and playing guitar in Ty England’s band, including a 2005 USO Tour of South Korea.<ref>{{cite web|title=England Schedules South Korea USO Tour|website=CMT|url=http://www.cmt.com/news/news-in-brief/1504560/england-schedules-south-korea-uso-tour.jhtml |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130119100506/http://www.cmt.com/news/news-in-brief/1504560/england-schedules-south-korea-uso-tour.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 19, 2013 |accessdate=2012-05-04|df=mdy-all}}</ref> In 2007, Russell started her solo career.

Russell released her debut album, ''Goddess'', on March 4, 2008.<ref>{{cite web|title=Shawna Russell Biography|website=Great American Country Television|url=http://www.gactv.com/gac/ar_artists_a-z/article/0,,GAC_26071_5940198,00.html|accessdate=2012-05-12|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Recorded in Oklahoma City and produced by Tim Russell and Ted Curtis, the album featured drummer Russ Kunkel and bassist David Santos. The recording engineer was Julian King.<ref>{{cite web|website=All Music Guide|title=Julian King discography|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/julian-king-p94020/charts-awards|accessdate=2012-05-04|df=mdy-all}}</ref> ''Goddess'' was mixed by Grammy-winner Nathaniel Kunkel.<ref>{{cite web|website=All Music Guide|title=Nathaniel Kunkel discographyv|url= http://www.allmusic.com/artist/nathaniel-kunkel-p95576/credits/date-asc/100 |accessdate=2012-05-12|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Russell co-wrote 12 of the 13 songs on the album. ''Goddess'' received positive reviews from ''Country Weekly'' <ref>{{cite web|last=Neal|first=Chris. Shawna Russell|title=''Goddess'' album review|website=Country Weekly|date=April 7, 2008|url= http://www.countryweekly.com/reviews/goddess}}</ref>''The Oklahoman,'' <ref>{{cite web|last=McDonnell|first=Brandy|website=BAM’s Blog|publisher=The Oklahoman|date= May 16, 2008|url=http://blog.newsok.com/bamsblog/2008/05/16/shawna-russell-to-be-featured-in-country-weekly/ |title=Shawna Russell to be featured in "Country Weekly" |accessdate=2012-05-05 |url-status=unfit|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120708134901/http://blog.newsok.com/bamsblog/2008/05/16/shawna-russell-to-be-featured-in-country-weekly/ |archivedate=2012-07-08 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> and a CMA ''Close Up'' magazine “New Artist Spotlight” feature where her voice was compared to Martina McBride, Stevie Nicks and Bonnie Raitt.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Doerschuk|first=Robert|title=CMA New Artist Spotlight: Shawna Russell|magazine=Close Up|date=October–November 2008|url=http://americajr.com/entertainment/shawnarussell1207.html}}</ref> The album produced three singles; “Goddess,” “Should’ve Been Born With Wheels” and “Fire In The Desert.”

Russell’s second album, ''Shawna Russell'' was released on June 7, 2011. Recorded in Nashville, the album reunited Russell with King (this time as producer) and with Clif Doyal and Tim Russell as co-producers. Russell wrote or co-wrote the 10 songs on the album, which included remixes of three songs from ''Goddess''. Working with Russell on ''Shawna Russell'' were guitarists Bryan Sutton and Jon Conley, keyboardists Charles Judge and Jim “Moose” Brown, drummers Shannon Forrest and Billy Thomas and bassist Mike Brignardello.

More country-leaning in its sound than ''Goddess'', ''Shawna Russell'' received good reviews from Roughstock,<ref>{{cite web |last=Bjorke|first=Matt|website=Roughstock|title=''Shawna Russell'' album review|date=June 6, 2011|url=http://www.roughstock.com/reviews/shawna-russell-shawna-russell |accessdate=2012-05-05 |url-status=unfit|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612003519/http://www.roughstock.com/reviews/shawna-russell-shawna-russell |archivedate=2011-06-12 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Music News Nashville,<ref>{{cite web|last=Dauphin|first=Chuck|website=Music News Nashville|title=''Shawna Russell'' album review|date=June 5, 2011|url=http://www.musicnewsnashville.com/shawna-russell}}</ref> the ''Oklahoma Gazette'',<ref>{{cite web|last=Carradini|first=Stephen|website=Oklahoma Gazette|title=''Shawna Russell'' album review|date=June 13, 2011|url=http://www.okgazette.com/oklahoma/blog-819-neither-here-nor-there.html |accessdate=2012-05-05 |url-status=unfit|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130130180702/http://www.okgazette.com/oklahoma/blog-819-neither-here-nor-there.html |archivedate=2013-01-30 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> ''Billboard'',<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Dauphin|first=Chuck|magazine=Billboard|title=Shawna Russell Sees The Light|date=January 25, 2012|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/615-spotlight-shawna-russell-sees-the-light-509974/}}</ref> and others. The album produced two U.S. singles, “Get Right Or Get Left” and “Waitin’ On Sunrise,” the latter charting in the Top 30 on the national MusicRow CountryBreakout Chart<ref>{{cite web|website=MusicRow|title=CountryBreakout Chart|date=May 11, 2012|url=http://www.musicrow.com/wp-content/CBOcharts/cbo51112trsp8g.pdf|accessdate=May 12, 2012}}</ref> in May 2012. It also produce two European singles, “Sounds Like A Party” and “Everybody’s Got A Story (Remix).” The 11th Annual Independent Music Awards nominated ''Shawna Russell'' for best "Country Album"<ref>{{cite web|website=Independent Music Awards|title=''Shawna Russell'' Country Album nomination|url=http://www.independentmusicawards.com/imanominee/11th/Album/Country|accessdate=May 12, 2012}}</ref> in 2012. Russell released two music videos that received playtime at CMT,<ref>{{cite web|title=CMT Artist: Shawna Russell|website=CMT|url=http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/russell__shawna/artist.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090205105052/http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/russell__shawna/artist.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 5, 2009|accessdate=May 12, 2012}}</ref> GAC, The Country Network,<ref>{{cite web|title=Shawna Russell Biography|website=The Country Network|url=http://tcncountry.com/S/shawna-russell/|accessdate=May 12, 2012}}</ref> and other video outlets.

In 2016, Russell became the host of The Country Network (TCN) show "Our Land The Music Highway". The show features Americana, Texas and Red Dirt music artists, interviews and music from Russell and her band.

In June 2017, Russell released ''Back Around'' on the Our Land label she created with Tim Russell and Jerry Putnam. The EP was recorded with Russell's touring band, the Ranch Hands, at Tim's "Runnin R Ranch" studios.

==References== {{Reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, Shawna}} Category:1978 births Category:Living people Category:American women country singers Category:American country singer-songwriters Category:21st-century American singer-songwriters Category:21st-century American women singers