Recorded her first album at 7, her second at age 11
The title song of this disc, Blue, is what brought her to national attention
Her vocals are often likened to Patsy Cline
At 16, sued her record label (for their release of an album of studio outtakes that she deemed "substandard") and her father (for taking more than $7 million of her earnings)
Ended her estrangement from her father before her 2002 wedding
Her 1997 version of the song "How Do I Live" spent a record-setting 69 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart
Made her big-screen acting debut in Coyote Ugly (2000)
She also contributed four songs to the film's soundtrack
Has written several books, including the novel Holiday in Your Heart (1997), the children's books Jag (2003) and Jag's New Friend (2004), and the inspirational What I Cannot Change (2009)
Supports the Wish Upon a Hero Foundation, MusiCares, the No H8 Campaign and Stand Up for Kids