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Jana Kramer Biography

By , About.com Guide

jana kramer album cover

Jana Kramer's debut album

Image Courtesy of Elektra Nashville

Born:

December 2, 1983, in Detroit, Michigan

Early Years:

Jana Kramer grew up in Rochester, Michigan, and listened to country music from an early age. She began her acting career as a young woman, landing roles on the daytime soap opera All My Children and later the popular forensics drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Kramer made the move into feature films with a small part in the Adam Sandler comedy Click, but returned to TV for her most visible roles to date, Noelle Davenport in Friday Night Lights and hot-to-trot fashion model Alex Dupre on One Tree Hill.

Divorce:

In July 2010, Kramer married fellow actor and Prom Night co-star Johnathon Schaech. But by August the flame had died: the pair divorced in August.

Musical Ambitions:

Despite her success as an actress, Kramer still wanted to make the leap into country music. "I knew it was going to be hard because I was always typecast as . . . just another actress," Kramer later told Keepin' It Country. "Music has always been my heart, my passion, and I want to be able to blend the two."

Influences:

Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert

Major Label Debut:

In 2011, Kramer made her musical dreams come true when she signed a contract with Elektra Records. "Music has always been my heart, my passion, and I want to be able to blend the two," she told Her singing and acting lives crossed over when her song "I Won't Give Up" appeared on One Tree Hill. The career change was complete when Kramer released her single "Why Ya Wanna" in early 2012, and it began a slow climb up the charts. Her self-titled debut album was released June 2012, and "Why Ya Wanna" finally broke the country top five in September.

Acting Versus Singing:

"I love acting, but my heart and soul is in singing. I've been terrified to pursue this dream because it's so personal to me," Kramer said in a statement on her website. If someone tells me they don't like my voice, it’s a lot harder of a hit to take."

Jana Kramer Discography:

  • Jana Kramer (Elektra Nashville Records, 2012)

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