Whitney Duncan

Whitney Duncan

Whitney Duncan at the 2010 CMA Music Festival
Background information
Birth name Whitney Renee Duncan
Born (1984-08-03) August 3, 1984
Origin Scotts Hill, Tennessee, United States
Genres Country
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active 2004–present
Labels Warner Bros. Nashville
Associated acts
Website Official Website

Whitney Duncan (born August 3, 1984) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She finished as the fifth place finalist on the fifth season of Nashville Star. She has released one studio album and has charted on the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart with "When I Said I Would" and "Skinny Dippin'," as well as a Christmas single and guest appearance on a Kenny Rogers single which was released before her Nashville Star appearance. In the fall of 2011, Duncan competed on the 23rd season of Survivor, Survivor: South Pacific, where she ultimately finished in 9th place, becoming the fourth member of the jury. In the fall of 2014, Duncan and her then-fiancé, fellow Survivor: South Pacific castaway Keith Tollefson, competed together on the 25th season of The Amazing Race, where they placed in 8th place.

Early life

Whitney Duncan was born on August 3, 1984 in Scotts Hill, Tennessee, a town consisting of only 900 people. Her father is a state environmentalist and her mother is a schoolteacher. Her grandfather introduced her to music.[1] Duncan began singing at her church, later performing in local talent shows, fairs, and festivals. She would also travel to the neighboring states of Kentucky and Missouri to perform at events. In her early teens, she began to travel to Nashville[2] to perform at local clubs, including Tootsie's Lounge.[1]

Music career

In her senior year of high school, Duncan signed a recording contract with a label, cutting a few sides she had written. One of these sides was "My World Is Over", which became a duet with Kenny Rogers, and appeared on his 42 Ultimate Hits album in 2004.[2] A single was made of their duet, and charted for one week on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in July 2004. Afterwards Duncan parted ways with the label.[3] In 2006, she opened for the CMA Music festival, performing the national anthem and singing the next day as well.[4]

In 2007, Duncan participated on the USA network show Nashville Star and self-released her debut album. After coming in fifth place, she signed to Warner Bros. Records Nashville. Her first solo single, "When I Said I Would" was released from the label in August 2008,[2] peaking at No. 48 on the U.S. country charts. The second single, "The Bed You Made," followed in December 2008 and failed to chart. The third single, "Skinny Dippin" was released in July 2009, and debuted at No. 60 and reached No. 48 as well. A Christmas digital single, a cover version of the Mariah Carey hit "All I Want for Christmas Is You", was issued in November 2008. A digital EP titled Selections From Right Road Now was released in December 2008.

Duncan's debut album, Right Road Now, was originally slated for a May 2009 release, but was pushed back due to the lackluster success of the singles. The album was released digitally and through Amazon.com on compact disc on April 20, 2010.

Duncan's song "So Sorry Mama" is featured in the 2011 movie Footloose, and on its soundtrack. She sang and co-wrote "So Sorry Mama" with John Shanks and Gordie Sampson. "So Sorry Mama" was also on her Right Road Now CD released on Warner Brothers in 2010. Duncan released a new single called "That's How You Make Love" on July 31, 2012.

In 2016, Duncan founded the band Post Monroe with Ashlee Hewitt and Shelby McLeod.[5]

Survivor

Beginning September 2011, Duncan appeared as a contestant on the CBS reality television series, Survivor: South Pacific, as part of the Savaii tribe. Duncan formed a very close, romantic bond with Keith Tollefson, and the two teamed up with Jim Rice and another romantic pair within the tribe—Ozzy Lusth and Elyse Umemoto—early on in the game. At the urging of Rice, Duncan cooperated in the elimination of Umemoto to limit Lusth's power.

At the merge, Duncan and the rest of the old Savaiis were betrayed by former tribemate John Cochran, which led to the entire former Savaii tribe being voted out one by one. Duncan herself was voted out on Day 27; she and Dawn Meehan lost the Redemption Island duel the next day against former tribemate Lusth. Duncan finished ninth overall and was the fourth member of the jury, where she was later one of the six jury members who voted for Sophie Clarke to win the season.[6]

Several years later, in the official issue of CBS Watch magazine commemorating the 15th anniversary of Survivor, Duncan was voted by viewers as the fifth most attractive female contestant in Survivor history.[7]

Personal life

Duncan is a first cousin of Holly Bobo, the Parsons, Tennessee murder victim.[8]

Duncan married musician Donny Fallgatter on August 1, 2010 in Gatlinburg, Tennessee after two months of dating.[9] The couple's divorce was granted in November 2011.[9] She became engaged to Keith Tollefson on February 14, 2013. The two had begun a relationship on their season of Survivor, and were married in July 2014.[10]

She and Tollefson raced together on The Amazing Race 25,[11] where they were the fourth team eliminated on the fifth leg of the race after being U-Turned by the mother/daughter team of Shelley and Nici, finishing in 8th place.

Discography

Studio albums

Title Album details Peak chart
positions
US Country US Heat
Whitney Duncan — —
Right Road Now 41 21
One Shot — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Extended plays

Title Album details
Selections from Right Road Now
  • Release date: December 23, 2008
  • Label: Warner Bros. Nashville
Young in America
  • Release date: February 11, 2011
  • Label: Warner Bros. Nashville

Singles

Year Single Peak positions Album
US Country
2008 "When I Said I Would" 48 Right Road Now
2009 "The Bed You Made" —
"Skinny Dippin'" 48
2014 "Roll All Night" — N/A
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Guest singles

Year Single Artist Peak positions Album
US Country
2004 "My World Is Over" Kenny Rogers 60 42 Ultimate Hits
2010 "Just Knowing You Love Me" Jimmy Wayne 59 Sara Smile

Other charted songs

Year Single Peak positions Album
US Country
2009 "All I Want for Christmas Is You" 60 Gift Wrapped: 20 Songs That Keep on Giving!

Music videos

Year Video Director
2004 "My World Is Over" (with Kenny Rogers) Shaun Silva
2008 "When I Said I Would" The Erwin Bros.
2009 "Skinny Dippin'" Roman White
2010 "Right Road Now" The Erwin Bros.
2014 "Roll All Night"[12] Marcel/Whitney Duncan

Singles written by Duncan

Year Title Artist Album
2004 "My World Is Over" Kenny Rogers 42 Ultimate Hits
2006 "I Found It In You" Ashley Gearing Maybe It's Time
2008 "My Roots Are Showing" Crystal Shawanda Dawn of a New Day
2013 "Young in America" Danielle Bradbery Danielle Bradbery

References

  1. 1 2 "Whitney Duncan info". Whitney Duncan.com. Archived from the original on September 8, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
  2. 1 2 3 Leggett, Steve. "Whitney Duncan biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
  3. ↑ "CMT biography - Whitney Duncan". Country Music Television. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
  4. ↑ "Meet the top 10 finalists for Nashville Star season 5". Country Standard Time. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
  5. ↑ http://postmonroe.com/
  6. ↑ "Survivor: South Pacific - Meet Whitney". CBS.com. Retrieved 2011-08-22.
  7. ↑ https://instagram.com/p/zGd9NWD9h6/
  8. ↑ "Holly Bobo Cousin". tasteofcountry.com. Retrieved 2011-04-15.
  9. 1 2 "Whitney Duncan (Almost!) Divorced From Donny Fallgatter". People Magazine. Retrieved 2011-11-16.
  10. ↑ "Survivor's Whitney Duncan: From Secret Marriage to Divorce to Engagement!". People Magazine. Retrieved 2013-02-21.
  11. ↑ "Cast features survivor veterans, surfer Bethany Hamliton". 2014-05-31. Retrieved 2014-05-31.
  12. ↑ "CMT : Videos : Whitney Duncan : Roll All Night". Country Music Television. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
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