LeAnn Rimes is just 33 — and her career spans a quarter-century

LeAnn Rimes won’t embark on her holiday tour until next month, but for fans in south-central Kansas, she has plenty of other songs to draw from when she performs Saturday at the Kansas Star Arena.

“I’ve been at this a long time,” Rimes said in a recent phone interview from Nashville. “I’ve recorded a lot of songs. It’s not so easy to make up a set list.”

Last year, Rimes impressed with the quirky EP “One Christmas: Chapter One,” which included a cover of the holiday rarity “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.” “Today Is Christmas,” her latest Yuletide album, was released last month.

“I’m crazy about Christmas,” Rimes said. “What can I say?”

Rimes has recorded 14 non-holiday albums, remarkable since she is only 33. Rimes was just 9 years old when her album “Everybody’s Sweetheart” dropped in 1991. The charismatic Jackson, Miss., native has been in the music business for a quarter-century.

“It was a dream come true since this is what I always wanted to do,” Rimes said. “Kids dream of making music and having hits.”

Rimes was just a kid when she was calling the shots. She was running the show at an age when most kids are in the sixth grade. “When you think of it like that, it really is something,” Rimes said. “I signed my deal at 11. The next year I was responsible for paying 67 people. Most kids just get to be kids at that age and that’s a good thing. But I had an opportunity, and I went as far as I could go.”

“Blue,” released in 1996, made Rimes a bonafide country star at 14. The eponymous single went top 10. “You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs,” which dropped in 1997, veered toward country-pop and became an even bigger success.

Rimes has sold more than 37 million albums. Her mantel is filled with hardware. She has a pair of Grammys, 12 Billboard Music Awards, three ACMs and a CMA.

“I might have missed out on a childhood, but it’s all been worth it,” Rimes said. “You have to want this really bad to succeed.”

There’s no question that Rimes has put the time in, and she’s been tenacious. After a long run of success, Rimes shifted into another gear in 2005 with “This Woman,” which was her first full-on country album in almost a decade.

“Nothin’ Bout Love Makes Sense,” “Probably Wouldn’t Be This Way,” and “Something’s Gotta Give” each hit the top five of the country charts.

“I’ve been incredibly fortunate,” Rimes said. “I’ve also worked hard. It’s not easy doing this for all of these years. Look at how much the industry has changed since I started. Back then there was no internet or cell phones. All that is good but what was good then, artist development, just doesn’t exist anymore. I came up during that era, and I’m still here in a very different music world.”

Rimes loves spending time with her family, but she can’t sit still. In her spare time, she has written two novels and a pair of children’s books.

“I like to stay busy,” Rimes said. “That’s just my nature. I’m always doing something. I love to create and I’ve always been crazy about performing in front of an audience.”

This story was originally published November 18, 2015 at 5:24 PM with the headline "LeAnn Rimes is just 33 — and her career spans a quarter-century."