Anita Renee Cockerham (born February 6, 1967), known professionally as Anita Cochran, is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She has released two albums for Warner Bros. Records Nashville and one for Straybranch Records. Cochran is best known for her late 1997-early 1998 single "What If I Said", a duet with Steve Wariner that reached the number-one position on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.

Anita Cochran
Anita Cochran in 2009
Anita Cochran in 2009
Background information
Birth nameAnita Renee Cockerham
Born (1967-02-06) February 6, 1967 (age 57)
OriginSouth Lyon, Michigan, United States
GenresCountry
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, record producer
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, dobro, banjo, mandolin
Years active1997–present
LabelsWarner Bros. Nashville, Straybranch

Biography

edit

Anita Cochran was born in South Lyon, Michigan, into a family that enjoyed listening to country music. She began to play guitar at an early age, and later learned to play banjo, mandolin and Dobro as well.[1][2] A local country musician, Anita's father often took her to country music festivals.[2] She later found work both in bands and as a solo act,[3] and was eventually hired to manage Pearl Recording Studios, a studio in Canton, Michigan.[1]

In 1997, after moving to Nashville, Tennessee, she was signed to Warner Bros. Records. Released in 1997, her debut album, Back to You, was produced by her as well. She co-wrote all but one of the album's songs and played several instruments on it. The album's lead-off single, "I Could Love a Man Like That", peaked at No. 64, followed by the No. 69 "Daddy, Can You See Me". The third single, a duet with Steve Wariner titled "What If I Said", reached the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts in early 1998.[1] Following this song was the album's fourth and final single, "Will You Be Here?" also at No. 69. Her second album, Anita, produced three singles, all of which failed to reach the top 40.

For the first single from her third album, God Created Woman, Cochran spliced in Conway Twitty's vocals from earlier songs of his to form a duet entitled "(I Wanna Hear) A Cheatin' Song".[4] This song peaked at No. 57; the album was never released.

In 2007, Cochran produced country music singer Tammy Cochran's album Where I Am. The two singers are not related.[5]

Cochran was diagnosed with breast cancer in late 2017. In 2018, several artists gathered to hold a benefit concert for her.[6]

Discography

edit

Studio albums

edit
Title Album details Peak chart positions
US Country
[7]
US
[8]
US
Heat

[9]
Back to You 24 173 9
Anita
  • Release date: October 5, 1999
  • Label: Warner Bros. Nashville
Serenity
  • Release date: November 10, 2009
  • Label: Straybranch Records
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Singles

edit
Year Single Peak chart positions Album
US Country
[10]
US
[11]
CAN Country
[12]
1997 "I Could Love a Man Like That" 64 Back to You
"Daddy Can You See Me" 69
"What If I Said" (with Steve Wariner) 1 59 1
1998 "Will You Be Here?" 69
1999 "For Crying Out Loud" 58 93 Anita
2000 "Good Times" 50
"You With Me" 61
2004 "(I Wanna Hear) A Cheatin' Song" (with Conway Twitty) 57 God Created Woman (unreleased)
"God Created Woman"
2018 "Fight Like a Girl" Non-album single
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Music Videos

edit
Year Video Director
1997 "I Could Love a Man Like That" Michael Salomon
"Daddy Can You See Me" Jim Shea
"What If I Said" (with Steve Wariner)
1999 "For Crying Out Loud" Thom Oliphant
2000 "Good Times" Gerry Wenner/Frank Scarpaci
"You With Me" Jim Shea
2003 "Destiny's Song" (With Deborah Allen & Tammy Cochran)
2004 "(I Wanna Hear) A Cheatin' Song"
2018 "Fight Like A Girl"

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c "allmusic ((( Anita Cochran > Biography )))". Allmusic. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Anita Cochran biography". Oldies.com. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
  3. ^ "CMT.com : Anita Cochran : Biography". Country Music Television. Archived from the original on April 27, 2004. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
  4. ^ Conway Twitty Sings a Song He Never Heard
  5. ^ "Tammy Cochran – Where I Am". countrymusic.about.com. Archived from the original on April 15, 2013. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
  6. ^ 90s Country Stars Band Together at Anita Cochran Cancer Benefit
  7. ^ "Anita Cochran Album & Song Chart History – Country Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 2, 2010. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
  8. ^ "Anita Cochran Album & Song Chart History – Billboard 200". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 2, 2010. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
  9. ^ "allmusic ((( Anita Cochran > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". Allmusic. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
  10. ^ "Anita Cochran Album & Song Chart History – Country Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 2, 2010. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
  11. ^ "Anita Cochran Album & Song Chart History – Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 2, 2010. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
  12. ^ "Results – RPM – Library and Archives Canada – Country Singles". RPM. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012. Retrieved October 2, 2010.