Lila McCann got off to an impressive start in country music. She scored big with songs like "With You" and "I Wanna Fall in Love." Per countrynow.com, "Fans first met McCann, a bright-eyed teenage blonde, with the release of her breakout hit, 'Down Came A Blackbird,' in 1997. This was her introduction to country radio and proved to be a smash as it peaked at No.28 on the charts." Her freshman, self-titled album, Lila, sold more than one million copies.
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It was an auspicious start. McCann had a tune on the soundtrack of the 1998 movie Hope Floats. The film starred Sandra Bullock and Harry Connick Jr. Her next album was Something in the Air. It featured "With You," which made the Top 10. McCann was even favorably likened to another fast-rising young star, LeAnn Rimes.
Things Began To Sour For Lila McCann
After such a great kick-off to her career, you would think that McCann was a shoo-in for more successes. But the music scene can be cruelly fickle. She had to go from one record label to another. Her third album got a tepid reception. McCann changed labels yet again later on. Her singles drifted out of sight quickly.
Per the outlet, "McCann seemingly disappeared from the spotlight at this time and went on to get married and have children. Many years passed and in June of 2019, McCann came out as gay on Instagram, revealing that she was now married to a woman."
In a lengthy Instagram post, McCann wrote in part, "To say I am PROUD to be married to this woman doesn't even begin to sum up how I feel about her. Personally, I have been surrounded by love through this whole transition. My family and friends did not judge or persecute me. They met my coming out with open arms. They did not diminish my feelings with their own opinions, even if some personally were (and still are) trying to understand it all. My story is simple and true and for that I am thankful."
Two Years Ago, McCann Was Upfront On TikTok About Her Departure From Music
McCann shared on TikTok via countrynow.com that she got some soul-crushing advice years ago from an unnamed "music executive." She said, "In 2006, after recording several albums for a particular record label, I had a music executive basically tell me that there wasn't room for me in country music anymore, and that I should probably utilize my time by finding a different career and not make music."
At just 25, it felt like "a gut punch." It made her re-evaluate the direction she was taking. McCann seems content with her choices now.
She Made A Significant Career Change
McCann said, "I have two beautiful children. They are grown men practically now, or at least they feel like it because they change so much every day. I'm married to an amazing human being. We have a great life here in Nashville. I'm a real estate broker in the state of Tennessee, so I get to help homeowners with the dream of building generational wealth for their families and buying and selling real estate in Tennessee. And that's something I've been doing for the last five years, and I'm really passionate about it and the fantastic team of women that I work with. And that's kind of it in a nutshell."
