Elizabeth Cook (born 1972 in Wildwood, Florida) is an American country music singer who made her debut on the Grand Ole Opry on March 17, 2000. She has released five albums to date. Balls was produced by Rodney Crowell, and nine of the album's 11 tracks were written or co-written by Elizabeth – including the single "Sometimes It Takes Balls To Be A Woman". Her next album, "Welder", released May 11, 2010, was produced by Don Was. The album received rave reviews.


Biography

The youngest of 11, Cook was born in Wildwood, Florida. Her mother Joyce played mandolin and guitar and performed on radio and local television in her younger years. Her father Thomas also played string instruments. He honed his skills playing upright bass in the prison band while serving time for running moonshine. Also while serving time at the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary for the crime, he learned the welding trade to which Elizabeth paid tribute in the title of her 2010 album. After her father was released, he and Joyce began playing in local country bands together. Elizabeth was on stage with them at age four, singing such inappropriate songs as 'I'm Having Daydreams About Night Things'. At the age of nine, she had her own band.

Cook graduated from Georgia Southern University in 1996 with dual degrees in Accounting and Computer Information Systems. In 2000, she independently released The Blue Album; she made her major label debut in 2002 with Hey Y'All. But following a corporate re-structuring that left the album virtually abandoned and stagnant on sales, Elizabeth fought back with her 2004 independent release This Side Of The Moon, which received positive reviews from The New York Times and No Depression. Her album Balls was released May 2007. It has been her most successful album to date, thanks to glowing press reviews and significant video play for the song "Sometimes It Takes Balls To Be A Woman." Her 2010 album Welder features appearances by an all-star roster of guests including Dwight Yoakam, Crowell and Buddy Miller. Two songs on the album featured in an NPR report at the time of its release were "El Camino" and "Heroin Addict Sister."

Through it all, Elizabeth maintained a relentless touring schedule, playing shows in America, as well as South Korea, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Poland France and the UK, the last of these including memorable appearances at the Cambridge Folk Festival, the Maverick Festival and the Borderline in London. She has continued appearing on stage at the Grand Ole Opry - indeed, she has appeared over 300 times and yet is still a "non-member".

She toured the UK in support of her Welder LP performing 18 dates with her husband Tim Carroll and her upright bass player Bones Hillman, formerly of Midnight Oil, who had relocated to Nashville, Tennessee after hearing nothing out of Midnight Oil for a year.

Welder was number 23 on Rolling Stone's list of the 30 Best Albums of 2010.
Cook was invited by the Atlanta Braves to sing the national anthem before their 2011 home opener on April 8, 2011.

Radio Show

Cook hosts the morning radio show "Elizabeth Cook's Apron Strings" on the Sirius XM radio station Outlaw Country on Channel 60. The show airs weekdays from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM (Eastern Time). The show format is a mix of Americana, Outlaw, and Alt Country.

Discography

Studio albums

Title Album details Peak chart
positions
US Country US Heat
The Blue Album

Release date: November 20, 2000
Label: self-released

— —
Hey, Y'all

Release date: August 27, 2002
Label: Warner Bros. Nashville

— —
This Side of the Moon

Release date: May 17, 2005
Label: Hog Country

— —
Balls

Release date: May 1, 2007
Label: 31 Tigers

72 —
Welder

Release date: May 11, 2010
Label: 31 Tigers

43 23
"—" denotes releases that did not chart
Extended plays
Title Album details
Gospel Plow

Release date: June 12, 2012
Label: 31 Tigers

Singles

Year Single Peak positions Album
US Country
2002 "Stupid Things" — Hey, Y'all
2004 "Before I Go That Far" — This Side of the Moon
"Heather Are You with Me Tonight" —
2005 "Ruthless" —
2007 "Sometimes It Takes Balls to Be a Woman" — Balls
2008 "Sunday Morning" —
2010 "All The Time" — Welder
2012 "Leather & Lace" (with Aaron Watson) — Hearts Across Texas
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Music videos

Year Video Director
2002 "Stupid Things" Chris Rogers
2005 "Before I Go That Far"
2007 "Sometimes It Takes Balls to Be a Woman" Roger Pistole
2008 "Sunday Morning" George Nicholas
2010 "All the Time" Kristin Barlowe