Jennifer Odessa Nettles (born September 12, 1974) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer.
Nettles is the lead vocalist of the duo Sugarland alongside Kristian Bush, and prior to this she fronted the Atlanta-based bands Soul Miner's Daughter and Jennifer Nettles Band. She charted as a duet partner on the country version of rock band Bon Jovi's 2006 single "Who Says You Can't Go Home", a number-one hit on the Billboard country chart.Billboard website.Billboard Music Charts - Jennifer Nettles; retrieved February 24, 2009. Throughout her career, she has acquired numerous accolades, including three Grammy Awards, four Country Music Association Awards, and an American Music Award for her work both as a soloist and as one half of the duo Sugarland. Nettles was a judge on Go-Big Show (2021–22).
Personal life Nettles was born and raised in the small town of Douglas, Georgia, United States, graduating from Coffee High School and Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia.Jennifer Nettles website. Website bio; retrieved February 24, 2009. Nettles married Todd Van Sickle in 1998; the couple divorced in 2007. On November 26, 2011, Nettles married her boyfriend of two years, Justin Miller, in a sunset ceremony at Blackberry Farm in East Tennessee. On June 18, 2012, they announced they were expecting their first child in November 2012. Their son was born in December 2012.
Musical beginnings Nettles began performing at school assemblies, her Southern Baptist church, and in community theater. She was also a member of Georgia 4-H's Clovers & Company performing arts group from 1986 to 1993.Clovers and Company History, CAST MEMBERS AND SHOW PROGRAMS THROUGH THE YEARS!. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
Nettles studied Spanish and Anthropology at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia, and graduated in 1997.Agnes Scott College. Alumnae Spotlight: Jennifer Nettles '97. Retrieved February 14, 2009. While a student there, Nettles and Cory Jones (who at the time was studying classical guitar at the University of Georgia) formed the group Soul Miner's Daughter. Performing as both an acoustic duo and with a band, they released two albums: The Sacred and Profane in 1996 and Hallelujah in 1998, both of which were composed of songs written collaboratively by Jones and Nettles.Back, Alan. Soul Miner's Daughter takes top honors at Lillith competition. The Technique, May 14, 1999. Retrieved April 4, 2007. Soul Miner's Daughter was invited to perform at the Atlanta installment of Lilith Fair in 1999.Ask Men website. Jennifer Nettles. Retrieved February 24, 2009.
In 1999, she formed the Jennifer Nettles Band, with which she released three studio albums and two live albums. The band, which in addition to Nettles included Brad Sikes (drums), Scott Nicholson (piano), Wesley Lupold (bass), and Mike Cebulski (percussion), was selected the grand prize winner from more than 2000 bands in "The Big Deal $100,000 Music Search" presented by Mars Music.Entertainment Wire. Atlanta's The Jennifer Nettles Band Wins Grand Prize In Nationwide Music Search Competition. November 28, 2000. Retrieved March 23, 2009.
Sugarland
In 2003, Nettles teamed up with Kristen Hall and Kristian Bush to form Sugarland. In 2006, Hall left the groupDugger, Brian. Kristen Hall leaves Sugarland. Toledo Blade, January 20, 2006. Retrieved February 24, 2009. and Nettles and Bush continued on as a duo releasing Enjoy the Ride in November 2006. Their third album, titled Love on the Inside, was released on July 22, 2008. Regarding the trio's collaboration, she said:
We really wanted to get out of where we had all been as artists and move beyond that to something bigger. Consequently all the songs reflect that; 'Fly Away,' 'Baby Girl,' all of those songs - you speak to the human condition and write what you know in your life.Cronin, Peter. The Road To Sugarland. Great American Country TV website. September 5, 2006. Retrieved February 23, 2009.
Sugarland was nominated for a Grammy award in the Best New Artist category in 2006.Gardner, Elysa. Meet the best new artist nominees. USA Today, February 2, 2006. Retrieved February 24, 2009. Although they did not win the award, Nettles and Bush performed for the awards show and Nettles presented both a Lifetime Achievement Award to Merle Haggard and the award for Best Country Group.Lee, Lisa. Urban, Hill and Sugarland Prepare for Grammy Show. CMT website. February 6, 2006. Retrieved February 26, 2009.
A duet performance with rock band Bon Jovi, "Who Says You Can't Go Home", reached No. 7 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart and No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. The video for the song won a CMT Music Award in 2006 for Collaborative Video Of The Year. In February 2007, Nettles and Bon Jovi won a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Collaboration.Grammy Awards website. 49th Grammy Awards Winners List. (See Category 39.) Retrieved February 24, 2009.
In an interview on Fox News with Martha MacCallum, Nettles expressed interest in appearing in a Broadway play, stating in particular that she would like to play the role of Elphaba in Wicked.YouTube. Jennifer Nettles on FoxNews. August 13, 2007. Retrieved February 23, 2009
In early December 2008, Sugarland received three Grammy Award nominations and performed on the 51st Annual Grammy Awards show on February 8, 2009. They won awards for Best Country Song and Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group.Grammy Awards website. 51st Annual Grammy Awards Winners List. (See Category 38 and Category 41.) Retrieved February 9, 2009.
On January 18, 2009, Nettles performed at the We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, singing James Taylor's "Shower the People" with James Taylor and John Legend.USA Today. Live-blog: 'We Are One' concert at the Lincoln Memorial. January 18, 2009. Retrieved January 20, 2009.
On February 11, 2009, Sugarland received two nominations from the Academy of Country Music for Top Vocal Duo and Vocal Event of the Year for "Life in a Northern Town".Academy of Country Music. 2009 Nominees. February 11, 2009. Retrieved February 12, 2009. During the broadcast of the April 5, 2009 awards show, Sugarland was presented with the Vocal Duo of the Year award, ending Brooks & Dunn's nine-year run.DeDekker, Jeff. Following the ACMs, part four. Leader-Post, April 5, 2009. Retrieved April 6, 2009. Nettles also received a Milestone award, presented to her by Reba McEntire.McDonnell, Brandy (BAM's Blog). ACM Awards Continues. The Oklahoman, April 5, 2009. Retrieved April 6, 2009.
ABC broadcast the first CMA Country Christmas, hosted by Nettles, on November 29, 2010. Nettles and Sugarland partner Kristian Bush kicked off the evening with their rendition of "Winter Wonderland", backed by Little Big Town. The pair returned to the stage later in the program to perform the hymn "Come, O Come Emmanuel", just before the "Jingle Bell Rock" group grande finale of the 90-minute special.Hollabaugh, Lorie. Stars Celebrate First 'CMA Country Christmas'. The Boot, November 29, 2010. Retrieved November 30, 2010. Until 2016, Nettles was the sole host of Country Christmas but was replaced by Reba McEntire for the 2017 show.
After a five-year hiatus while Nettles and Bush recorded solo projects, Sugarland officially reunited in 2017 at the 51st Annual Country Music Association Awards and announced that they were working on new music together. The lead single off their sixth studio album Bigger, “Still the Same" was released on December 21, 2017.
Duets and solo career In 2009, Jennifer Nettles performed at the Kennedy Center Honors for Bruce Springsteen and a second time in 2011 for Neil Diamond.Rolling Stone December 30, 2009, article titled "Bruce Springsteen Honored at Kennedy Center" Retrieved September 19, 2018]Washington Post December 4, 2011 article on the Kennedy Center Honors Retrieved September 19, 2018]
In 2012, Nettles appeared as a judge on the ABC singing competition series Duets alongside Kelly Clarkson, John Legend and Robin Thicke. The show was cancelled after one season.
Nettles announced in May 2013 that she would begin working on a solo album. Her first solo single, "That Girl", was released in August. Nettles co-wrote the song with Butch Walker, and Rick Rubin produced it. The album, also titled That Girl, was released on January 14, 2014, after Ray Price's death.
On June 4, 2014, Nettles performed "All of Me" with John Legend and Hunter Hayes at the CMT Music Awards.
In July 2015, Nettles parted ways with Mercury Nashville. Nettles then signed with Big Machine Label Group. Nettles announced that she would be going on the "Playing With Fire Tour" with Ryan Kindler and Brandy Clark as her opening acts. The tour was then extended by CMT and promoted as "CMT Presents Jennifer Nettles with 2016 Next Women of Country Tour" with Brandy Clark and special guest Lindsay Ell and Tara Thompson for over 30 dates across the country starting in January 2016. Nettles then released a music video for her song "Sugar", she would be performing this song, which is off her upcoming album, at the 89th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on the Domino Sugar float. Nettles then released the first official single, off her upcoming album with Big Machine, "Unlove You" which she debuted on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on November 24. In March 2017, Nettles made her international solo debut at the C2C: Country to Country festival. For six years in a row she has hosted the CMA Country Christmas on ABC. In 2018Credits on the Josh Groban "Bridges" album for Reprise records Jennifer Nettles duetted with Josh Groban on his "Bridges" and "Bridges Live" albums with the Groban-penned song "99 Years". In December 2019 Nettles ended her solo deal with Big Machine Records but her duo Sugarland signed an exclusive deal with Big Machine.
To coincide with the sixteenth anniversary of the 9/11 attack, Nettles released a song called "King of the City", which tells the story of an immigrant who lost his life during the tragedy. Of the track, Nettles said "it has been so long since I started writing this song, but I was only able to finish it in the last year. I was inspired by the political tensions in our country right now. I want to humanize the immigrant story as an American story, and allow people a different narrative from what they might, or might not, be seeing on the news or in their communities".
Acting Nettles made her acting debut in the NBC television movie, Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors portraying Dolly Parton's mother. It premiered on December 10, 2015. She reprised her role in the sequel Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love which premiered on November 30, 2016.
In February 2015, Nettles joined the Broadway cast of Chicago, where she played the role of Roxie Hart for a limited engagement. In April 2016, she had a role on the WGN America series Underground. Her role was as a wife and mother who became a mental patient.
Since 2019, Nettles has portrayed Aimee-Leigh Gemstone, the deceased matriarch (featured in flashbacks) of a fictional Southern evangelical family in HBO's dark comedy series The Righteous Gemstones. She also co-starred in the drama Harriet, about abolitionist Harriet Tubman, playing Eliza Brodess. The film was directed by Kasi Lemmons.
She played the lead role of Jenna in the musical Waitress on Broadway from October 19 to November 25, 2021.McPhee, Ryan. "Sugarland, Butter, Flour: Jennifer Nettles Will Star in Waitress on Broadway", Playbill, September 23, 2021
Nettles plays Miranda, the mother of a young girl named Katherine, who is possessed by a demon after performing a séance, in the 2023 film The Exorcist: Believer.
Nettles plays Maryanne, the ex-wife of Hub Halloran, in the 2025 Amazon Prime series The Bondsman.