Miranda Lambert was born November 10, 1983, in Lindale, TX, a small town about 80 miles east of Dallas, the daughter of country guitarist and songwriter Rick Lambert (her mother, Bev, ran a detective agency). Growing up in a house dedicated to country music, she began entering country talent contests when she was 16, and appeared as part of the Johnny High Country Music Review in Arlington, TX. Lambert learned to play guitar and immediately began writing her own songs, continuing to enter talent contests (one led to her appearing in a potato chip ad and a part in the 2001 teen comedy Slap Her She's French). At 17 (while still in high school) she formed the Texas Pride Band and began gigging professionally, and later in 2001, with financial help from her father, she released an independent CD, Miranda Lambert, that showcased her songs, two of which, "Texas Pride" and "Somebody Else," actually entered the Texas music charts. In 2003 she finished first in the Texas auditions for the Nashville Star television show, moving to Nashville to appear on it, eventually finishing third in the competition, which led to a recording contract with Sony. Still only 21 years old, her first major-label single, "Me and Charlie Talking," was released in 2004, and the consequent album, Kerosene, for which Lambert wrote or co-wrote ten of the 11 tracks, appeared in 2005 on Epic Records, followed by Crazy Ex-Girlfriend in 2007. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide