Ashley McBryde, the celebrated American country music singer-songwriter, has captivated audiences not only with her powerful voice and authentic storytelling but also with her impressive personal transformation. Notably, at the CMA Awards in November 2023, Ashley McBryde looked stunning as she flaunted her 35-pound weight loss.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Ashley Dyan McBryde was born on July 29, 1983, in Waldron, Arkansas, and raised in Saddle, Arkansas. Growing up in a strict household, music played a significant role in her life from a young age. Her father was a farmer, doctor, and preacher. McBryde was drawn to various types of music from a young age. "when I was growing up, [and] I don’t ever remember not seeing a gun or a Bible. Between 2006 and 2011, McBryde released a pair of self-released albums. McBryde's journey into the music industry was marked by perseverance and a commitment to her unique style. In 2007, McBryde moved to Nashville to pursue a music career. She started performing with the band Deadhorse and performed at any gig she could get. This included biker bars and hangouts, and other eclectic venues in the Nashville area. She also worked a day job at Guitar Center and played open mic nights. In 2009 and 2010, she won the annual Country Showdown talent competition. McBryde's band also won Tennessee's state-wide "Battle of the Bands" contest. In 2011, she self-released her second demo album titled Elsebound. During this period, McBryde also toured frequently. Her early career involved relentless touring and performances in diverse venues, honing her craft and building a dedicated following.
Breakthrough with "Jalopies & Expensive Guitars"
In 2016, McBryde's extended play (EP) titled Jalopies & Expensive Guitars drew attention from country artist Eric Church. The project was issued on Road Life Records. For the album cover, McBryde straightened her hair. "We were trying to play the game," she told The New York Times. She was also instructed to lose 20 pounds. The EP was discovered by Eric Church, who invited McBryde to play her song "Bible and a .44" onstage with him during one night of his "Holdin' My Own" tour. This EP marked a turning point in her career, catching the attention of Eric Church, whose support helped her gain a country music recording contract with Warner Music Nashville. The video of her performance went viral and she was soon finding regular concert work. She also signed a management deal with Q Publishing during this same period. Also around this time, McBryde recorded what would later comprise her debut studio album. The project was heard by Cris Lacy, a senior vice president for Warner Music Nashville.
Rise to Fame and Critical Acclaim
In 2017, Warner Music released McBryde's debut single titled "A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega". The track became a popular download, taking higher positions on iTunes than that of more established acts like Paramore. The song climbed to number 30 on both Billboard's Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts. It was later named one of the 54 Best Songs of 2017 by The New York Times, and one of the Top 25 Best Country Songs of 2017 by Rolling Stone. In March 2018, the label released her debut studio album called Girl Going Nowhere. The disc reached number seven on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number 49 on the Billboard 200. Critics praised Girl Going Nowhere for going beyond country music's expectations for a record. Other critics like Robert Ham found that McBryde pushed for quality music versus radio-friendly hits: "The needle may keep moving for female country artists, but that’s of little concern to McBryde. In September 2019, McBryde released the lead single off her next album, titled "One Night Standards". It later became her first top 20 single on both the Billboard Country Airplay and Country Songs charts. In Canada, the song reached the number one spot on their country chart. It appeared on McBryde's second studio album in April 2020, titled Never Will. McBryde has received one Grammy Award from six nominations, one Country Music Association Award, three Academy of Country Music Awards, and was nominated for a Daytime Emmy.
The Weight Loss Revelation
Ashley McBryde's weight loss journey became a topic of interest after she revealed her transformation. In a 2019 interview with the Recording Academy, she stated, “For me, learning that I had to be unapologetically myself was, I lost 35 pounds.” Though Ashley hasn’t shared exactly how she managed to lose the weight, her transformation has been seriously impressive.
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Embracing Authenticity and Self-Acceptance
McBryde's weight loss journey is intertwined with her journey of self-acceptance and authenticity in the music industry. When McBryde finally got the attention of record labels, she was told her hair was "too curly" and to lose weight. And she tried. She lost 35 pounds and wrote songs a certain kind of way. But it wouldn't stick-McBryde couldn't be who the glossy, 30-pounds-skinnier artist industry executives wanted her to be. So she turned a corner-if she was going to "become" anyone, it would have to be herself. Ultimately, her experience has inspired the album. Songs like "Girl Goin' Nowhere" tell a story of fierce persistence. "Don't waste your life behind that guitar/ You may get gone, but you won't get far/ You're not the first, you won't be the last… But when the lights come up ….
The Impact of Self-Acceptance on Her Career
McBryde's decision to embrace her true self had a profound impact on her career. In an exclusive interview, McBryde spoke to the Recording Academy about what it feels like to be where she is now, her first-time nomination, women in country radio, the artists who inspired her, and what she's looking forward to the most during the 61st GRAMMY Awards on Feb. There's always that moment in everybody's career where it's "Lose 30 pounds, change your hair, change your name," all this stuff. And I knew I wasn't willing to do that from the get-go. You have to do a small percentage of it anyway, because if you don't … how do I say this? For me, learning that I had to be unapologetically myself was, I lost 35 pounds. I looked amazing, except my head was way too big for my shoulders. And there was a, "Your hair's really curly. Can we kind of make that more of a wave kind of a thing?" And I was like, "Okay. I'll trust you. I'll try anything one time. I won't have to tell you it looks stupid. You'll see it looks stupid." So, we did that and I tried to do the thing that people would have me do, and it was a momentum and a façade that I knew there's no way I could keep that up and maybe stick out my stomach, two for ten, that I'm the skinniest girl in the room. I'm never gonna be that and that's fine. That for me was a big turning point, and also some of the songs that we were choosing for me at the time. It's not that I didn't like them. I wrote them, but they weren't exactly the thing I would want to do and the message that I wanted to put out. I had stuff that had better messages to it. And learning that I really suck at being anybody else, and as long as I've got permission to just be me, and me and the guys can just make the music that [speaks] to us, that's when it started working for us.
McBryde's Perspective on Body Image
Ashley McBryde's experience with industry pressures to conform to certain beauty standards highlights the challenges faced by many artists.
Later Career and Recent Work
In September 2022, McBryde announced that she had completed work on two studio albums. She delayed the release of what was expected to be her third major label album in order to release the concept album Lindeville, which was produced by her longtime friend John Osborne and featured a close circle of nine key collaborators, including Brandy Clark and Caylee Hammack. The album which is named after songwriter Dennis Linde, was based on the idea of creating a fictional town for the characters in her songs to live. In February 2023, Warner Music released McBryde's next single titled "Light On in the Kitchen". The song will serve as the lead single for her next studio album and has since debuted on the Billboard country chart. McBryde officially announced her fourth album, The Devil I Know, on June 2.
Personal Challenges and Resilience
McBryde has faced personal challenges, including the death of her brother, Clay McBryde, in 2018. In 2018, McBryde's brother, Clay McBryde, died at the age of 53. Details concerning his death were not initially revealed. McBryde has publicly spoken about having a difficult relationship with her father due to her decision to pursue a music career. "My favorite song I've ever written being 'A Bible and a .44'… it's about my father, who does not approve of any of his children making a living in any kind of entertainment industry. In September 2021, McBryde was forced to postpone a few concerts, in the midst of her headlining This Town Talks Tour, after falling off a horse and landing on her head. In season 1, episode 7 of her YouTube series Made for This, McBryde details her experience and recovery from the horseback riding accident. In addition, those that were with her that day and witnessed and provided first-aid to her on the scene go into great detail of just how serious the accident was. It was later discovered that she had also fractured her pelvis in the accident.
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Awards and Recognition
McBryde's talent and hard work have been recognized with numerous awards and nominations. McBryde has received one Grammy Award from six nominations, one Country Music Association Award, three Academy of Country Music Awards, and was nominated for a Daytime Emmy.
Influence and Role Models
Ashley McBryde has spoken about the importance of having strong female role models in the music industry. I did. Really strong women like Trisha Yearwood, Lorrie Morgan, Patty Loveless. They were vocally so agile and so powerful. That was easy to look up to, but I grew up on a cattle farm in the Ozark mountains of Arkansas. I was in the cheapest Wrangler jeans you can get. We bought our clothes at a place called Tri-County Farm and Ranch Supply. I wore white Hanes T-shirts that were hand-me-downs from my older siblings and I rolled the sleeves up because I'm a really small statured person. And I ran across this song I really liked called "When Boy Meets Girl" by Terrie Clark. So, for the first time I saw a strong female presence with good songs that meant something to me that looked like I did. And then later on in college, it would be Gretchen Wilson where I would go, "Hey, I'd dip tobacco. That chick dips tobacco," even though it's sort of unattractive … I can identify with her. So, I really did have some good role models I looked up to on both sides of the spectrum. People that I wanted to sound like and people that sounded like me. People that I can identify with just life wise.
Current Status and Future Endeavors
As of late 2023 and early 2024, Ashley McBryde continues to be an influential figure in country music. In February 2023, Warner Music released McBryde's next single titled "Light On in the Kitchen". The song will serve as the lead single for her next studio album and has since debuted on the Billboard country chart. McBryde officially announced her fourth album, The Devil I Know, on June 2.