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left a trail of breadcrumbs that even the most bumbling Hansel and Gretel could find , all leading up to 2016 ’ s smash hit single “ Different For Girls ,” wherein she first teamed up with Bentley – now one of her best friends – which won them both a CMA Award for Musical Event of the Year . King grew up cursing like a sailor and living in just as many exotic ports of call , from her birthplace in Los Angeles – to model London King and “ Saturday Night Live ” -renowned Adam Sandler alum Rob Schneider – to New York , Copenhagen , and Philadelphia , where she attended its University of the Arts . But for her most formative teen years , she resided with her mom and music-loving stepdad on a farm in rural Ohio ,
every record I ’ ve ever put out , there ’ s been a country song . And I wrote “ Drunk ( And I Don ’ t Wanna Go Home )” ( her recent C & W hit with Miranda Lambert , included on “ Come Get Your Wife ”) when I was 24 , and it didn ’ t make the record ( her 2015 debut Love Stuff ). And now that song alone has taught me to get out of the way , let things have their own life , let things have their own time , and that ’ s been a massive teaching tool for me . And now that I ’ m in country , I ’ ve realized that it ’ s given me the freedom to be my truest , most authentic self . They let me drink , they listen to my ideas and what I have to say , and it ’ s changed my life my family ’ s life , and all my bandmates have moved to Nashville now , and it ’ s become the start of a really beautiful chapter of my life .” Thinking about the transformation for a minute , she adds , “ It ’ s definitely the polar opposite of where I was the last time we talked .”
It wasn ’ t a straight reverse-Clampett trajectory from L . A . to Nashville ; you would photo by Corey Bost
22 illinoisentertainer . com january 2023 affectionately known to locals as being part of the Tri-State Area , with Indiana and Kentucky ( full disclosure : This writer was a part of it , too , hailing from Indianapolis ). And that made all the difference .
“ And it ’ s funny because I ’ ve always alluded to my childhood in Ohio , but I ’ ve always been really protective over it because my family still lives that , and that ’ s the truest part of my identity and my family ,” says King , who swears her songwriting quietly changed when she discovered the sonic properties of the banjo . “ So it ’ s interesting now to reflect on that because country music has definitely been a massive part of my whole entire career . I got signed because of a country song , and on
imagine , either . But nothing in King ’ s topsyturvy life has ever gone according to a carefully-mapped out plan . For example , she met a man she thought was her soulmate , Andrew Ferguson , in London in January of 2016 , got engaged 12 days later in San Francisco , married the following Valentine ’ s Day , but then divorced just as hastily a year later . Prior to lockdown , King had begun dating Dan Tooker , an East Coast tattoo artist , and in that last “ In isolation ” chat , she was proud for having maintained a long-distance relationship for two long years and then nurturing it through the coronavirus era . The couple didn ’ t prevail upon her sister for too long – they soon moved to Santa Fe , where she got pregnant but where continues on page 23