Representative Albums: "Milestones: Greatest Hits," "Getting It Dunn," "Across the Rio Grande"
Representative Songs: "You Really Had Me Going," "Daddy's Hands," "Love Someone Like Me"
Biography
One of the most popular female country singers of the late '80s, Holly Dunn was born in San Antonio in 1957 and was the sister of future country songwriting pro Chris Waters. In high school, she performed with a group called the Freedom Folk, which toured the south and performed at the White House bicentennial celebration. While attending Abilene Christian University, she sang with the school's Hilltop Singers touring choir, and also co-wrote a song with her brother called "Out of Sight, Not Out of Mind." It was recorded by Cristy Lane, which convinced Dunn to try her luck in Nashville after graduation. She worked as a demo singer for a time before joining her brother as a staff songwriter at CBS. In 1984, she moved over to MTM and penned material for several different singers, including Louise Mandrell, who made "I'm Not Through Loving You Yet" a Top Ten hit. In the wake of its success, Dunn landed a record contract in her own right, and released her first single in 1985. Her self-titled debut album appeared the following year and produced her first Top Ten hit, "Daddy's Hands." 1987's Cornerstone contained two Top Five singles in "Love Someone Like Me" and "Only When I Love," and Dunn produced the 1988 follow-up, Across the Rio Grande, herself, resulting in the hits "Strangers Again" and "(It's Always Gonna Be) Someday." MTM subsequently went bankrupt, and Dunn signed with Warner Bros. for 1989's The Blue Rose of Texas, which produced her first-ever number one single, "Are You Ever Gonna Love Me," as well as the Top Five "There Goes My Heart Again." 1990's Heart Full of Love spawned another chart-topper, "You Really Had Me Going," and Warner followed it with the hits compilation Milestones in 1991. One of the new tracks, "Maybe I Mean Yes," sparked controversy over its lyrical content, which some interpreted as an apology for date rape. Dunn's popularity took a hit with 1992's Getting It Dunn, and she subsequently parted ways with Warner. She resurfaced in 1995 on the smaller River North label with Life and Love and All the Stages, and was back on a major (A&M) for 1997's Leave One Bridge Standing, which failed to revive her commercial standing. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
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Holly Dunn (born August 22, 1957 in San Antonio, Texas) is a country music artist who first found fame with her 1986 Top-10 hit "Daddy's Hands" from her self-titled début album. Dunn has charted more than a dozen country singles, two of which ("Are You Ever Gonna Love Me", "You Really Had Me Going") reaching the #1 spot.
Dunn is the daughter of a minister father. Her brother is country music songwriter Chris Waters, with whom she has co-written much of her recorded material.
In 2003, Dunn announced her retirement from her musical career in order to devote full time to her other passion, art. Her paintings deal primarily with subjects from the southwestern United States, and are available through the Peña Studio and Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
"Two Too Many" ·"Daddy's Hands" ·"A Face in the Crowd" ·"Love Someone Like Me" ·"Only When I Love" ·"Strangers Again" ·"That's What Your Love Does to Me" ·"(It's Always Gonna Be) Someday" ·"Are You Ever Gonna Love Me" ·"There Goes My Heart Again" ·"Maybe" ·"You Really Had Me Going" ·"Heart Full of Love"
