by Emily Battle
Before sold-out arenas and multiplatinum releases, a teen-aged LeAnn Rimes stepped into a small studio and recorded songs for the album that would thrust her onto the world stage. The place was Tyler, Texas.
Three decades later, the internationally acclaimed, Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and actress is returning to the Rose City—this time to open the UT Tyler R. Don Cowan Fine and Performing Arts Center’s 2026-2027 season. Best known for her powerhouse voice, emotional delivery, and blend of country, pop, and adult contemporary music, Rimes will take the Cowan stage September 26th.
Appearing in Tyler will be a type of homecoming for Rimes. “Coming back feels like closing a beautiful circle,” she said. “There are places that become part of your story, whether you realize it at the time or not, and Tyler is definitely one of those places for me. It’ll be really special to celebrate that with the audience.”
A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Rimes grew up in the Dallas area and began singing at a young age. In her early teens, she recorded some songs at the Rosewood Studio in Tyler to include on “Blue”—her breakthrough album. Released in 1996, the album went multiplatinum, and Rimes won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, making her the youngest recipient to take home a Grammy.
As she prepared for the album’s release, Rimes had no idea what was about to happen in her career. “Not at all,’’ she said with a laugh. “I just knew I loved singing. I wasn’t chasing fame; I was chasing the feeling music gave me. Everything that came afterward was beyond anything my younger self could’ve imagined.”
Located in Tyler’s downtown area, Rosewood Studio is a longstanding professional recording facility with a strong reputation in both Texas and national music circles. After Rimes’ debut album, she returned to the studio several times for additional recording projects.
“My most visceral memories are of creating the album ‘Sittin’ on Top of the World’ there—and every time I think about that period, I’m reminded how much those sessions shaped me as an artist,” she said. “I don’t think any of us gets where we are alone, and Tyler will always be one of those places that helped shape my journey.”
With an unwavering dedication to her craft, Rimes has continually challenged herself and refined her artistry. She has sold more than 48 million units globally and won two Grammys, 12 Billboard Music Awards, two World Music Awards, three Academy of Country Music Awards, two Country Music Association Awards, and a Dove Award.
A recipient of the Golden Note Award for songwriting, Rimes said her songs are inspired by “life—the beautiful parts, the messy parts, the heartbreaking parts. I think the older I get, the more I realize that the most honest songs come from simply paying attention and being willing to tell the truth.”
Out of the 63 singles Rimes has released, her ballad “How Do I Live” holds the record as Billboard’s Hot 100 all-time No. 1 hit by a female artist. It’s also one of Rimes’ favorite songs to perform live. “‘How do I Live’ is always special because every person in the audience has their own story attached to it,” Rimes said. “People have gotten married to it, grieved with it, celebrated with it. When I sing it now, I’m really singing everyone’s memories, not just my own.”
Rimes has also built a successful acting career spanning television movies and series, film appearances, and stage productions. Her acting credits include the current hit show “9-1-1: Nashville.”
“Music asks me to reveal myself,” Rimes said. “Acting asks me to step into someone else’s life. I love both for completely different reasons. Acting has stretched me creatively in ways I didn’t expect, and I think it’s made me a better storyteller in music too.”
The Cowan Center season opener will feature a mix of Rimes’ classic music hits and more recent creations, promising an evening that highlights the breadth of her career.
“I always want people to hear the songs they’ve lived their lives with, because those songs belong to them as much as they do to me now. But I also love sharing where I am creatively today,” Rimes said. “Every show is really a conversation between my past and my present.”
Following LeAnn Rimes, the Cowan Center continues its season with other noteworthy concerts, including Foreigner and The Oak Ridge Boys, as well as its biggest Broadway series to date.
“We focused this season on offering something for everyone,” said Jeff Noblitt, UT Tyler Cowan Center executive director. “LeAnn Rimes—with her ties to Tyler and iconic career—is the perfect artist to open our season. She appeals to a wide variety of music fans and has a new generation of fans through her stellar acting career.”
The Cowan also will offer an elevated patron experience when it opens its doors this fall. “We’re completely renovating all of the public spaces in the Cowan Center to match the excellence we’re presenting on stage,” Noblitt said. “We can’t wait to welcome everyone back to a refreshed Cowan this fall.”
For more information about the season, visit cowancenter.org.