Women taking country music by storm

       "It's a good feeling to be a woman in country music today," says
   superstar Patty Loveless. And good business.
       Last year, country's women scored half of the year's Top 10
albums
   and singles. That's a stark contrast to 1995 and 1996, when only two
   women made the Top 10 singles list.
       What's more, last year the women landed the No. 1 spot 23 out of
   52 weeks. In 1994 and 1995, respectively, women spent only eight
weeks
   at the top.
       "It's our time," says Lari White. "I think that's because
   performers like Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn paved
the
   way for today's women country singers. They were some of the first
   women who were able to be feminine and still compete in the business
   world and be savvy about their careers."

       The power of women in country isn't restricted to radio play and
   album sales. Women are also at the head of the class with
   concertgoers. Shania Twain ruled with last year's third best-selling
   tour. Reba had the fourth and LeAnn Rimes the sixth.
       "Women are giving the people what they want in country music
more
   than the men are," says Mindy McCready. "That's because women are
   taking more risks with how they perform, the subject matter of the
   songs they sing, the videos they're doing.
       "Women have adopted a 'be yourself' attitude," Mindy adds.
"Which
   is great for me because I have such a hard time conforming to the
   everyday routine."

       Experts say the reason for this success story is, simply, the
   music. "Women had something to prove in our industry, where men just
   took things for granted," explains MCA Nashville president Tony
Brown.Wonder women"There
   are some great new female artists. I think they do more interesting
   music, whereas most of the male acts tend to copy each other."
       Lorrie Morgan agrees. "The songwriters have persevered in this
   town and have really written some great songs for women in the last
   couple of years," she says.
       Great looks help, too. "Women like Shania and Trisha and Mindy
   aren't afraid to be pretty and sexy," says Lorrie. "It's OK to look
   sexy and be a woman in every aspect and still sell records.

       "I think that the people have said, 'Hey, that's a working
woman.
   She looks pretty. I can do the same thing. I can raise kids and
still
   be pretty.' I think we've become something that other women look up
   to."
       These women are not only ruling the country charts - they've
   become a powerful force in pop music, too. Last year, Martina
McBride
   scored a Top 5 pop hit with "Valentine." And LeAnn Rimes led the way
   in 1997 with her smash pop chart hit "How Do I Live."

       Faith Hill also took her music to new fans. "This Kiss" was a
   chart-topper on both country and pop charts.
       As country music expands to embrace Europe, Asia and Australia,
   women are at the forefront. LeAnn, Shania, Trisha Yearwood and Faith
   all debuted on the U.K.'s top 40 album or singles charts last year.
   And LeAnn's "Sittin' on Top of the World" went gold there in 12
weeks.
   Shania's Come on Over went gold in 15 weeks.

       LeAnn's "How Do I Live" and Shania's "You're Still the One" both
   went to No. 1 in the Netherlands. And Trisha's "How Do I Live"
scored
   the No. 1 spot in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.
       Reba McEntire recently performed sold-out shows in Scotland,
   England, Ireland and Germany.
       "The success of country music women is such a big story because
we
   have always been such a male-dominated industry," Brown says. "Right
   now at MCA I have seven female artists and six male artists. I've
   never seen that ratio. It's usually 11 or 12 males and three
females."
       Country women are on top of the world. But will it last?
       "I think as long as we can still stay true to the music and try
to
   find those songs that are true to our own hearts," Patty concludes,
   "we can continue to have the success that we're having."