Artist to Watch: Laura Bell Bundy

Newcomer Laura Bell Bundy didn’t take the usual path that most artists travel on their way to Music City; she made several pit stops along the way in New York City performing on Broadway. Before she recorded her debut album Achin’ and Shakin’, Bundy made her name by originating the role of Elle Woods in the musical version of Legally Blonde for which she earned a nomination for a Tony Award. She also played characters in some of Broadway’s most well-known musicals like Hairspray and Wicked and toured the country in productions of Gypsy and The Sound of Music. Her acting career wasn’t just limited to the stage, Bundy also appeared in films and television shows.

Laura Bell’s original passion was music just like two of her heroes Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton, both of which have explored the acting world from time to time. Growing up in Kentucky, Bundy’s parents exposed her to country music with a mix of classic standards from Frank Sinatra to 1960s soul music. By the age of nine, she had already secured her very first professional job in Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular in New York leading to a brief stint away from her home in Kentucky. Five years later, Laura Bell returned home to experience high school as a regular teen. Although after she graduated, it was back to New York for college, but her plans for furthering her education were put on the back burner when acting came calling once again. However, in her free time, Bundy teamed up with her roommate Amber Rhodes, a fellow Kentuckian, to form a country music duo.

In 2008, Laura Bell made the big move to Nashville and hasn’t looked back. She has made quite an impression on country audiences with the music video for her debut single “Giddy On Up” and followed that up with an impressive live performance on the Academy of Country Music Awards in April. At the upcoming CMT Music Awards, she is up for Breakthrough Video of the Year. Check out if Bundy takes the prize when the awards show airs on Wednesday, June 9th.

To learn more about Laura Bell Bundy, be sure to check out her CD Field Trip!

Image courtesy of Beth Gwinn / Getty Images

Nikita Palmer for Citadel Digital © 2010

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