LeAnn is amazing. I love how her peers gave her a standing ovation. That had to make her feel good...which I know it did, because you could tell she was getting ready to cry. :)
One of the greatest voices we have in the music industry. Why is she not making music and saving us from the garbage in today radio. Great voice great lady.
I think the reason we've not seen as much of Leann Rimes for many years now is that she got on the bad side of the Nashville elite for several things, that as isolated incidences would not have been a big deal, but together made her unpalatable: whether it was her decision, or the decision of her producers, she looked a bad sport when Trisha Yearwood's version of Diane Warren's "How Do I Live" was picked over Leann Rime's version for the film "Con Air", and she released her version on the day Yearwood's version was dropped putting her in direct competition with Trisha Yearwood, and ultimately upstaging her when clearly Rime's version was far better, at least with the general listening audience. Then there was the ugly business of her suing her father over the mismanagement of her money, and essentially stealing from her, and the countersuit he lodged against his daughter, and some people thinking she was just a brat. It did not help that she became the other woman, breaking up her marriage and the marriage of Eddie Cibiran while denying they were having an affair. She is definitely an amazing singer that I think has been somewhat blackballed for the reasons I stated. I love her, have loved her since the release of her album "Blue; but sad to say I do not think this a very pretty version of "Over The Rainbow,." This is one of the prettiest, most melodious songs ever written, but her shrill interpretation somehow destroys the melody . . . in my opinion. I get what she is trying to do, instilling passion and longing into the lyrics, but that would have been better accomplished with a head voice rather than her chest voice. One only has to watch Judy Garland's version on "The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz," and see the vast difference of which I speak. Again: just my opinion.
The song being as iconic as it is, and being the signature song of Judy Garland who sang this as a 16 year old, and associated with a great and famous picaresque film--subsequent artists come to the song with that sense of the song and they feel they have to outdo the original--which is impossible. Subsequently, all other renditions ended up being second best--and in some cases downright terrible. LeAnn Rimes rendition is credible.
