NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas — For Central Texas country fans, there was no better way to spend Valentine's Day weekend than with the legendary LeAnn Rimes at the historic Gruene Hall.
Rimes sold out two nights – Friday and Saturday – at the quaint country dance hall in Gruene, Texas, just outside of New Braunfels. And we were lucky enough to listen along on day two.
The Valentine’s special was filled with love songs, spanning her two decades in the industry. While she of course played her hits like “Blue,” “How Do I Live” and “I Need You,” she also surprised the crowd with a few love song covers like “Wonderwall” by Oasis, “Love on the Brain” by Rihanna and the ultimate Gruene Hall crowd-pleaser, “You Never Even Called Me by My Name” by David Allen Coe.
In between the love songs, she took some time to smile at the lovers in the crowd and her own family watching from side stage – husband Eddie Cibrian and her mom, Belinda Rimes.
It was an intimate night and love was in the air, something the bare-footed star could feel as she took a few moments to get vulnerable with her fans.
“The opposite of fear is love, and we need to be standing up for that right now,” said Rimes to adoring cheers.
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Rimes is one of the most successful country artists in history, with a career covering more than 20 years. She's sold more than 40 million albums, earned two Grammy Awards, three Academy of Country Music Awards and 12 Billboard Music Awards.
In 1997, Rimes was the youngest person to ever win a Grammy at age 14 and was the first country artist to win for Best New Artist. She had her first hit at age 13 with the 1996 release of "Blue," which remained at the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s country albums chart for more than three months.
Since then, she's had 42 singles on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs Chart and her version of “How Do I Live” is the second-longest charting song in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Plus, her "Coyote Ugly" hit "Can’t Fight the Moonlight" topped the charts in 11 countries.
Rimes' latest album, "Rimes (Live at Gruene Hall)," was recorded right here in Gruene last February. And she told the crowd we can expect more new music in 2020.
The legendary Gruene Hall is known to country music fans across the nation. Built in 1878, it's the state's oldest dance hall. Legends like George Strait, Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Garth Brooks, Merle Haggard and many more have all graced this storied stage.
PHOTOS: LeAnn Rimes at the Gruene Hall
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