See 15 Country Music Stars' Hilarious High-School Yearbook Photos
See 15 Country Music Stars' Hilarious High-School Yearbook Photos
Here's proof that everyone goes through an awkward phase, even country superstars like Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, and Shania Twain.
Blake Shelton
Blake told Country Weekly that he wrote his first song at age 15 about his high school crush. Titled "That Girl Made a Fool Outta Me," he claims it's "in the Top 10 of worst songs ever written in the history of the earth." Two weeks after graduating high school, Blake left Oklahoma and headed to Nashville with dreams of country music stardom-and the rest is history.
Carrie Underwood
Carrie insists she was "average" as a high schooler in Checotah, Oklahoma, telling Extra that she feels a little weirded out that there's now a wing named after her at Checotah High School. "I actually fought this for a long time," she said. "They wanted to put a plaque up, name this the Fine Arts wing after me, and I was like, 'I don't know how I feel about that'… it's just me, but I get it, it's really cool. I'm honored… hopefully, people look at it and are like, 'That's a good reminder that somebody came from here and is successful.'"
Brad Paisley
Brad's big break came in junior high, when his school principal invited him to perform at a Glen Dale, West Virginia rotary club meeting, according to CMT. The program director of a local country radio station saw his act and was so impressed that he asked Brad to play on Jamboree USA, the station's Saturday night show. Brad soon became a Jamboree regular, opening for acts like Ricky Skaggs and the Judds throughout his high school years.
Dolly Parton
In 1964, when Dolly told her classmates at Sevier County High School that she had big dreams of becoming a country music superstar, they laughed at her, she says. Well, who's laughing now?
Faith Hill
Saying Faith Hill was an overachiever in high school would be an understatement. While attending McLaurin High School in Florence, MS, the country superstar was a cheerleader, a basketball player, junior class president, and prom queen-and she still found time to sing with her country band at rodeos and county fairs.
Garth Brooks
In high school, Garth Brooks was more interested in sports than music-he played football and baseball, and was a member of the track and field team (he even received a track scholarship to Oklahoma State University).
John Denver
As a military kid, John reportedly never felt like he fit in, since his family moved around so much. While attending Arlington Heights High School in Fort Worth, Texas, John actually ran away to California for a short period before his father made him return and graduate.
Luke Bryan
Luke has said that he was more interested in fishing and baseball than studying in high school. He did show a knack for performing, though, singing in his church choir and starring in high school musicals, like Annie Get Your Gun, before graduating in 1996.
Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard attended Bakersfield High School for just two weeks before dropping out, according to Rolling Stone-but over six decades later, at the age of 78, the school presented Merle with a high school diploma during a special ceremony.
Miranda Lambert
Lindale High School grad and Texas native Miranda admits she was not a great student, telling Seventeen that she "barely passed" her classes. Luckily she had her musical talents to fall back on-she was even voted "Most Likely to Be a Famous Singer" by her classmates.
Natalie Maines
Natalie graduated Lubbock High School a year early, in 1992, according to Texas Monthly. She bounced around to several colleges before moving back to Lubbock in 1995-which is when her father, steel guitar player and country music producer Lloyd Maines, connected his daughter with Dixie Chicks Emily Erwin (now Strayer) and Martie Seidel (now Maguire).
Reba McEntire
When Reba was in ninth grade, she formed a musical act along with her brother and younger sister called the Singing McEntires, according to Biography.com. Reba played guitar and wrote the songs, and the trio performed at rodeos across Oklahoma.
Shania Twain
While attending Timmins High & Vocational School in Ontario in the early '80s, Shania (then Eilleen) Twain performed in a top 40 cover band called Longshot, before joining a different cover band called Flirt. According to The Boot, she even missed her high school graduation because she was on tour with Flirt.
Thomas Rhett
Given the fact that Rhett Akins is his dad, it's no surprise that Thomas Rhett grew up around some famous folks-in fact, Blake Shelton even once helped him with his homework in high school. "I came home one day and was writing a paper, and Blake looked at my conclusion paragraph and tweaked a couple of words," Thomas told Glamour. "I was 14. He was like 25. He and Dad are good friends, and they write together all the time."
Tim McGraw
According to Men's Journal, Tim, a three-sport star, went through high school hoping that his estranged biological father, professional baseball player Tug McGraw, would show up at one of his games. Unfortunately, he never did, but after Tim graduated, a meeting was arranged between the two men at a Houston hotel-and once Tug saw the family resemblance, he decided he couldn't deny paternity any longer.
Some of these country superstars are barely recognizable!