Kimberly Schlapman

Learn about Kimberly Schlapman, American country singer, songwriter, and founding member of Little Big Town. Explore her background, musical journey, creative projects, and memorable perspectives.

Introduction

Kimberly A. Bramlett Schlapman (born October 15, 1969) is an American country singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She is best known as one of the founding members of the country music group Little Big Town, a band celebrated for its rich harmonies, compelling songwriting, and longevity in the industry. Her career reflects a blend of musical talent, personal resilience, and creative diversification.

Early Life and Background

Kimberly was born in Toccoa, Georgia, and raised in Cornelia, Georgia.

In school, she was active in choir and music. She attended Habersham Central High School, graduating in 1987. During her high school years, she participated in choir groups, performed in local theater, and was selected for the Georgia All-State Chorus several years in a row.

She pursued further musical study by enrolling in Samford University on a music scholarship, where she initially aimed to major in music. Karen Fairchild during a trip to choir camp. University of Tennessee, where she completed a degree in family and human development.

Musical Career & Little Big Town

Formation of Little Big Town

Kimberly and Karen Fairchild rekindled their musical connection in Nashville in the late 1990s. Together, along with Jimi Westbrook and Phillip Sweet, they founded the vocal group Little Big Town in 1998.

Discography & Highlights

Over the years, Little Big Town (with Kimberly as a consistent member) has released many studio albums, including:

• Little Big Town (2002)

• The Road to Here (2005)

• A Place to Land (2007)

• The Reason Why (2010)

• Tornado (2012)

• Pain Killer (2014)

• Wanderlust (2016)

• The Breaker (2017)

• Nightfall (2020)

• Mr. Sun (2022)

• The Christmas Record (2024)

Songs that have charted highly include “Pontoon,” “Better Man,” “Boondocks,” “Bring It On Home,” “Girl Crush,” and “Little White Church.”

Vocal & Creative Role

Kimberly contributes vocally (both harmony and lead) and often participates in songwriting and creative decisions within the group. Their harmonies and shared leads are part of what make Little Big Town distinct in the country genre.

Other Creative Ventures

Beyond her work in music, Kimberly has explored multiple creative outlets:

• Television & Cooking: She hosted her own cooking show, Kimberly’s Simply Southern, which ran for several seasons (2012–2015).

• Books: She authored a cookbook titled Oh Gussie! (2015) and a children's Christmas book, A Dolly for Christmas (2020), inspired in part by her family’s adoption journey.

• Lifestyle & Home Projects: Her personal website describes her as a home lifestyle personality in addition to being a musician.

These ventures reflect her interest in food, home life, storytelling, and sharing a more personal side beyond the stage.

Personal Life & Challenges

Kimberly’s personal journey has been marked by both tragedy and resilience:

• In college, she married Steven Roads (a law student) in 1990. Their marriage lasted until his death in 2005 from a sudden heart attack at age 41.

• After his death, she later married Stephen Schlapman (a former stage manager with Little Big Town) on November 28, 2006. She revealed publicly in 2025 that the couple had secretly eloped in Las Vegas six months before their official ceremony.

• In their honeymoon, Kimberly became pregnant with their daughter Daisy Pearl Schlapman, born July 27, 2007, several weeks early while on tour.

• The couple later faced fertility challenges. After multiple treatments and miscarriages, they adopted a daughter, Dolly Grace Schlapman, born December 31, 2016.

• Her mother has Parkinson’s disease, and Kimberly’s faith has been publicly important to her during times of challenge.

These aspects of her life have shaped her public narrative, often informing her artistic expression and public empathy.

Themes, Style & Influence

• Harmony & collaboration: Her work with Little Big Town emphasizes ensemble, shared vocal responsibility, and the power of harmonies—less a singular "star" model, more a collective voice.

• Authenticity and grounding: Her music often blends polished performance with vulnerability, reflecting struggles, relationships, and emotional resonance.

• Integration of life & art: Through her cookbooks, TV presence, and writing, she bridges her personal world (home, family, food) with her public life in music.

• Longevity through adaptability: Being part of a band for decades, and expanding into other creative fields, she models how artists can evolve without losing core identity.

Memorable Quotes

Kimberly is less widely quoted with one-liners than many solo artists, but her interviews and public reflections offer insight. A few examples:

• On cooking & roots: In an interview with Southern Living’s “Biscuits & Jam”, she recalled,

  “My earliest memories are with my mama in the kitchen.”

• On public honesty: In 2025, during a Today with Jenna & Friends segment, she revealed

  “We planned [the elopement] … but six months earlier we eloped to Vegas.”

These statements show how she connects personal memory, emotional truth, and storytelling.

Lessons & Takeaways

1. Shared voices can be powerful. In a genre often dominated by solo stars, Kimberly’s commitment to a collaborative band model shows strength in unity and blending.

2. Creativity can span beyond music. Her ventures into cooking, writing, and lifestyle work show how artists can diversify and express different facets of themselves.

3. Adversity can deepen art. Her personal losses and struggles with fertility have deepened her emotional palette and public resonance.

4. Consistency over novelty. Maintaining a consistent presence within Little Big Town for decades demonstrates dedication, adaptability, and connection with audiences over time.

5. Authenticity matters. She moves between public persona and personal self with honesty—sharing stories, struggles, and joys—making her more relatable.