Photo by Anthony Scarlati.

Marshall Chapman was born and raised in Spartanburg, South Carolina. To date she has released twelve critically acclaimed albums, and her songs have been recorded by everyone from Emmylou Harris and John Hiatt to Irma Thomas and Jimmy Buffett.

2010 was a banner year for Chapman. In January, she landed her first movie role, playing Gwyneth Paltrow's road manager in the just-released Country Strong. In February, her musical Good Ol' Girls (adapted from the fiction of Lee Smith and Jill McCorkle, featuring songs by Matraca Berg and Marshall) opened off-Broadway. On October 30, Chapman simultaneously released a new book (They Came to Nashville) and new CD, Big Lonesome. The Philadelphia Inquirer recently named Big Lonesome "Best Country/Roots Album of 2010." Paste Magazine calls it "her masterpiece."