Anita Cochran

Anita Renee Cockerham (born , 1967 in South Lyon, Michigan), known professionally as Anita Cochran, is an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist and record producer. Signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1997, she made her debut on the U. S. country charts that year with the release of her first album Back to You. It produced the hit single "What If I Said", a duet with country music artist Steve Wariner, which reached Number One in early 1998, producing not only Anita's first Number One overall, but also Wariner's first Number One since 1989. Although she never entered the Top 40 on the country charts again, she recorded a second album for Warner Bros. before being dropped in 2004.

Biography

Anita Cochran was born into a family that enjoyed listening to country music. She began to play guitar at an early age, and later learned to play banjo, mandolin and Dobro as well. A local country musician, Anita's father often took her to country music festivals. She later found work both in bands and as a solo act, and was eventually hired to manage Pearl Recording Studios, a studio in Canton, Michigan.

In 1997, after moving to Nashville, Tennessee, she was signed to Warner Bros. Records. Released in 1997, her debut album, Back to You, was produced by her as well. She co-wrote all but one of the album's songs and played several instruments on it. The album's lead-off single, "I Could Love a Man Like That", peaked at #64, followed by the #69 "Daddy, Can You See Me". The third single, a duet with Steve Wariner titled "What If I Said", reached the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts in early 1998. Following this song was the album's fourth and final single, "Will You Be Here?" also at #69. Her second album, Anita, produced three singles which all failed to reach Top 40.

For the first single from her third album, God Created Woman, Cochran spliced in Conway Twitty's vocals from earlier songs of his to form a duet entitled "(I Wanna Hear) A Cheatin' Song". This song peaked at #57, although the album was never released and its title track failed to chart. Shortly afterward, however, she lost her deal with Warner Bros. Records.

In 2007, Cochran produced country music singer Tammy Cochran's album Where I Am. (Anita is no relation to Tammy.) She also backed Terri Clark on tour.

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