Country Music Memories: Trisha Yearwood Releases Her Debut Album

Thirty-two years ago today, on July 2, 1991, Trisha Yearwood released her self-titled debut album.

Trisha Yearwood‘s debut single, “She’s in Love With the Boy,” shot straight to No. 1, making Yearwood the first female country artist to have a debut single reach the top of the country charts. Her second single, “Like We Never Had a Broken Heart,” which was a duet with her now-husband, Garth Brooks, landed in the Top 5.

It was fitting that Brooks sang on Yearwood’s freshman record, since she sang background vocals on his eponymous first album as well. Brooks promised Yearwood that if he got a record deal, he would help her, and he kept his word: Brooks introduced Yearwood to his producer, Allen Reynolds, who in turn introduced Yearwood to Garth Fundis, who became her longtime producer and helped her get a deal with MCA Records.

Yearwood also released “That’s What I Like About You” and “The Woman Before Me” from her freshman album; both of those singles landed in the Top 10 as well.

In spite of the success of her first record, 1991 wasn’t entirely a great year for Yearwood: She divorced her first husband, Chris Latham, that year, after four years of marriage. Still, the success of Trisha Yearwood helped the Georgia native earn her first ACM Awards trophy, for Top New Female Vocalist. To date, Yearwood’s freshman album has sold more than 2 million copies and remains her best-selling studio album.

In 2021, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Trisha Yearwood, Yearwood released a new acoustic version of “She’s in Love With the Boy.”

See Trisha Yearwood + More Country Stars’ Yearbook Photos: