You know Julianne Hough from Dancing With the Stars and for starring in the remake of “Footloose.” But, did you know that her first dream was to be a country singer?
Julianne Hough, 34, was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her father, the president of a vitamin and supplement company, and her mother, a massage therapist, have four other children: Sharee (45), Marabeth (42), Katherine (40), and Derek (38).
Growing up, Julianne was an avid country music fan, especially of artists like George Strait, Garth Brooks, Faith Hill, Dolly and Reba.
“The first CD I ever saved up my money to buy was ‘Come On Over,’ Shania Twain’s CD,” Hough said.
From the age of 9, Julianne was a competitive dancer, even traveling to London for training when she was only 10. After five years overseas, she returned to the U.S. to finish high school. After graduation Julianne moved to Los Angeles in hopes of starting a singing career.
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While waiting for her singing dream to come true, Hough was a background dancer and was eventually asked to join Dancing With the Stars.
“I was so happy, obviously, but I was like, ‘Man, I don’t know if I want to do the show because I don’t want to get pigeonholed as being a dancer. I want to be a singer. But at the same time, I really can’t turn down that much exposure the way the music industry is nowadays,'” Hough said. “So it was just incredible, the opportunity I had.”
In 2008, at the age of 19, Julianne released her first country album. Her debut album’s lead single, “That Song in My Head,” reached the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. And the self-titled album went all the way to No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Album chart. She also toured with Brad Paisley, Jewel and Chuck Wicks, finally seeing her country music dreams become a reality.
“It’s always been my dream — just because I feel like the artists, the fans, just the people in the industry are so real and so welcoming,” Hough said. “You feel like you can go hang out with Reba McEntire at a barbecue or something, you know? That’s who I am. I’m a people person. I love meeting people, I love meeting the fans after shows and signing and talking to them. I guess I love that aspect of the country genre.”
The music video for “That Song in My Head” is full of summer vibes, making it one of the hottest summer songs of 2008. Filmed at the Ventura Pier in Ventura, California, and on the beach, the music video follows the story of Hough finding love at a beachside bonfire. Throughout the video, Hough happily dances down the pier while reminiscing about the boy she fell for at the beach. It concludes with the two reuniting and sharing a kiss.
Get in the mood for summer with the music video for Julianne Hough‘s “That Song in My Head” below.