27 Little-Known Details About Child Star Turned Reality Star LeAnn Rimes

LeAnn Rimes was born in Jackson, Mississippi on August 28, 1982. An only child to Wilbur Rimes and Belinda Butler, Rimes was soon introduced to the world of performing. Before she turned double digits, she was a seasoned performer with experience in live singing, musical theatre, and dancing. Before long, talent scouts discovered the rising star during her appearance on Johnnie High's Country Music Revue.

By the age of fourteen, Rimes had what most musicians spend their lives dreaming about: a number-one hit and not one but two Grammy awards. And the success didn't stop there. She went on to have an impressive music career (that is still going to this day) and dip her toes into the world of acting. In 2018, she released an EP called Re-Imagined, which features five tracks from her back catalog that she re-recorded, much to the delight of fans all around the world. The EP version of 'Borrowed' even includes added vocals from Stevie Nicks.

Now a wife and stepmom, Rimes is balancing her time between being a living, breathing music legend and being there for her family. Keep reading to find out 25 things you didn't know about country star LeAnn Rimes.

27 LeAnn Topped The Charts At The Age Of Only Thirteen

LeAnn Rimes was only thirteen years old when she first topped the charts as a country artist. She recorded the song 'Blue', which was actually written for country icon Patsy Cline prior to her death. And as soon as she was on the world stage, fans started to compare to Cline for her vocal similarity. Now at the age of thirty-six, Rimes has had a stellar career for over two decades, and she's showing no signs of slowing down.

26 And She Won Star Search In 1990

Like other music industry legends, Rimes competed on the show Star Search, in the junior vocalist competition. At only the age of eight, she won in 1990. Following her victory, she was eliminated in her subsequent performance. And this exactly why you should never give up, or let little setbacks stop you from reaching your dreams! Just five years later, Rimes was topping the charts with her song 'Blue' at the age of thirteen, and had become critically acclaimed.

25 Her Mom Had Trouble Getting Pregnant With Her

Rimes has opened up about how much trouble her mom had when she was trying to get pregnant. “It took my mom twelve years to have me. I hope I don't have that [issue] but if I do, then a surrogate is something I've thought about,” she told People. So in a way, she was kind of like a miracle baby! She and husband Eddie Cibrian have talked about adopting children, and she is already a very involved step-mom to his two sons, Mason and Jake.

24 Dressing Up Isn't Her Thing

A country gal through and through, Rimes differs from many music industry legends in that she isn't obsessed with fashion. When she was asked what her favorite thing to wear is, she answered, “Nothing. If I have to be honest. I'm so bad… I love clothes but I'm from the South where we literally walked around barefoot all the time.” That said, we have seen Rimes in some gorgeous gowns on the red carpet and impressive stage costumes.

23 She Suffers From Psoriasis

Since she was a child, Rimes has suffered from psoriasis, which is an auto-immune disease almost like extreme eczema. It often affected large areas of her body, and in order to treat it, she has had to turn to steroid medications. Having psoriasis even got her teased when she was in school-the other kids would call her “the scaly girl” after seeing her skin. She's now found an effective medication which has helped to control her flare-ups.

22 Her Birth Name Isn't Actually LeAnn

Shock horror! LeAnn Rimes was actually born Margaret LeAnn Rimes in Jackson Mississippi. We're guessing that she felt LeAnn had more star appeal than Margaret! She wasn't wrong-LeAnn Rimes is now a household name, even beyond the circles of country music fans. Her career actually began in musical theatre, where she performed in the production of A Christmas Carol in Dallas at the age of six. Around this time, she also nearly landed the lead role in Annie.

21 She Prefers Texting To Talking On The Phone

Rimes may not be a millennial, but it seems she's picked up quite a few habits from the younger generation. Not only is she a star on Twitter and Instagram, but she also would choose texting as a means of communication any day over actually talking to someone on the phone. As texting becomes the norm, in both professional and social circumstances, it's not uncommon to avoid talking on the phone. Why talk when you can text, right?

20 Many Of The Biggest Names In Country Music Have Influenced Her

If you've ever listened to Rimes's extensive discography, you might have noticed that she's taken inspiration from a number of big names on the country music scene. Other artists from other genres have also influenced her musical style. Some of the people she's cited as being her biggest musical inspirations are country singers Reba McEntire and Wynonna Judd, and music icon Barbara Streisand. While she may draw inspiration from other artists, she has also been the one to influence newer singers.

19 She Has Influenced Taylor Swift

Today she's one of the queens of pop, but once upon a time, Taylor Swift was a country singer knocking doors on the streets of Nashville. So naturally, she cites LeAnn Rimes as one of her biggest influences. Actually, some might say that Rimes started it all for Swift… in an interview with Oprah, Swift revealed that she knew she wanted to pursue a career in country music after she had gone to see Rimes in concert.

18 Every Now And Then, She Experiences TMJ

In addition to bouts of psoriasis, Rimes has also been unlucky enough to suffer from TMJ in the past. Officially known as temporomandibular joint dysfunction, this affects the joint that connects the jaw to the skull. Some of the uncomfortable and annoying symptoms are jaw pain, difficulty chewing and locking of the jaw. For most people this would be a problem, but it's especially so for Rimes, as it can sometimes stop her from being able to open her mouth to sing.

17 She Plays Close Attention Numbers

There are certain superstitions that Rimes believes in, and one is the power of numbers. She believes that particular combinations of numbers are symbolic, so she pays close attention to the numbers she comes across in her day-to-day life. In the past, she has said that she sees 1:11, 2:22, 3:33, 4:44 and 5:44 every single day. When it comes to her lucky number, Rimes goes against the grain and favors thirteen. She also finds black cats super interesting.

16 In 2000, She Sued Her Father

Wilbur Rimes was actively involved in his daughter's career as she was climbing to the top. He took her to tour nationally at the age of nine, encouraged her to enter into talent competitions and to sing at football games, and even recorded her at an independent label when she was just eleven. But in May of 2000, Rimes took legal action against her father and former manager, Lyle Walker, after the pair stole from her. Over the years, she has come to forgive her father and mend her relationship with him.

15 That Same Year, She Also Sued Her Record Label

Later that year in November, Rimes filed another law suit, this time against her label, Asylum-Curb. She was seeking permission to be released from her contact with them, which was signed on her behalf by her parents five years earlier in 1995. In addition to this, she wanted the label to give her the rights to her own music, and get rid of any recordings that they had access to. In December of 2001, the label began a new contract with Rimes.

14 She Danced Before She Sang

We know Rimes for her amazing singing talent, so it's interesting that she actually started dancing before she started singing. Okay, so she was only two years old and began singing soon after, but still. She was pretty much tap dancing from the time she could walk! Quite a few musicians actually start off dancing before discovering that they can sing as well, and go on to become double or triple threats. Rimes falls under the latter, since she can act as well.

13 Her First Acting Credit Was On A Soap

Her acting work on the 2009 Lifetime movie Northern Lights has made headlines, but few people realize that Rimes was actually acting long before then. Her first acting credit was actually on the NBC daytime soap Days of Our Lives. At the time, she was a huge fan of the show, and was thrilled to get the chance to play the role of a teen runaway named Madison. That only lasted three days, but Rimes went on to act in other projects too, including Drop Dead Diva and Anger Management.

12 She Loves Singing For Charity

There are a number of charities that Rimes goes out of her way to support using her large platform. In addition to participating in performances that help raise money and awareness for various causes, she has also been known to record a number of charity singles. One of the most famous was 'The Choice', which helped to buy 500,000 pairs of shoes for children in need. She also recorded lines on the song 'Just Stand Up', which raised awareness for breast cancer.

11 Her Net Worth Is Pretty Impressive

Beginning her career when she was just a child, Rimes has gone on to break records, win awards and sell music all over the world. It may not be surprising that her net worth today is pretty darn impressive. As of 2018, she has a reported net worth of twelve million dollars. Not bad at all! Though she's already highly acclaimed and has many successful songs under her belt, she is still recording music and getting involved with other projects.

10 She Used To Hate Getting Real Flowers

In a recent interview, Rimes admitted that although she appreciated the gesture of real flowers, she really didn't like receiving them. And being a star, she's probably received a lot of them in her time. “I used to hate getting fresh flowers because I didn't like to watch them die,” she said. Fair enough! While she might be over her distaste for real flowers now, it might be safer to buy her fake ones if you ever get the chance!

9 LeAnn And Eddie Got Married In A Private Ceremony In California

When they first got together as a couple in 2010, Rimes and Cibrian's relationship was under intense scrutiny. At the time that their relationship blossomed, they were both involved with other people. In December of 2010, they became engaged after Cibrian proposed with a five-carat oval diamond ring. They were married less than five months later in a surprise ceremony that took place at a private home in California. Rimes wore a handmade gown from Reem Acra, and Cibrian rocked a Ermenegildo Zegna suit.

8 Her Husband's Favorite Thing To Do Is Watch Her Perform

Cibrian stated in a recent interview that one of his favorite things to do in the world is watch his wife perform, which makes him one of her biggest fans. Bless! “One of my favorite things to do is watch my wife perform live. I don't really have a favorite song,” he said in the interview. “I love all the songs she sings. She could sing the phone book and I'd love it.” Now that's what you call spousal support!

7 She Believes She Married Former Husband Dean Sheremet Too Young

Prior to marrying Cibrian, Rimes was married to Dean Sheremet. The two divorced in June of 2010, six months before Rimes and Cibrian became engaged. When asked about her first marriage, Rimes said that she thinks they were too young to make such a commitment: “I think any relationship is hard to get out of, and I don't think the way I did it was right. We got married so young; I was nineteen and he was twenty-one, so as we got older, we grew apart.”

6 She's Struggled With Stress And Anxiety

What fans love about Rimes is that she's always so open and honest about what's going on in her life including any health issues that she may experience. As well as psoriasis and TMJ, Rimes has also struggled with stress and anxiety. A busy career in the spotlight is understandably a huge trigger for emotions like this, but the media attention that Rimes received after marrying Cibrian also added to her mental health struggles. We're glad she's doing better now!

5 She Wants Society To Celebrate Step-Families More Often

Rimes is very involved with Cibrian's two sons from his first marriage, and has taken on the role of a second mom. She recently starred in, produced and wrote original songs for the Hallmark Christmas movie It's Christmas Eve, and while discussing the making of the film, she opened up about how she feels step-families should be portrayed more in the media: “I thought that there's not enough light shed upon [stepfamilies] in a positive way, so this was a perfect opportunity to do so.”

4 She And Eddie Actually Met A Long Time Ago

Many fans believe that Rimes and Cibrian met on the set of Northern Lights in 2009, so it was a major shock when she dedicated a social media post to the real first meeting she had with her husband. In actual fact, the two met when she was fourteen and he was twenty-three. The posts indicates that neither of them remember meeting, but they found a photo of themselves from many years before. “Fate?” she asked on the post. “Chance? Serendipity? Who knows?”

3 Sometimes She Spray Tans Twice A Week

Wondering what beauty secrets you can take from LeAnn Rimes? Spray tans are her go-to beauty trick. She even sometimes gets tanned more than once a week! But her real secret is that she doesn't rely on a professional salon to do the job for her. “My assistant, Kiki, and I love to spray tan so much, so we finally bought a machine and started to spray each other,” she revealed. “The machine is like $500, so we save so much money. We do it once or twice a week. It's like a car wash.”

2 She Takes 40 Vitamins A Day

In another health and beauty confession, Rimes admitted that she takes no less than forty vitamins per day to stay at the top of her game! “I'm a big vitamin person,” she explained. “I take like twenty pulls in the morning and twenty at night-fish oil, prenatal vitamins, probiotics, biotin… I have an herbalist I work with who has put me on a bunch of different things. I'm very strict about making sure I take them.”

1 She Introduced Her Husband To Meditation

Cibrian revealed in an interview that he has started meditating as part of his self-care routine, and Rimes was the one who first introduced him to it. While it's unclear how long the couple spends each day meditating, and whether they do it together or alone, we're guessing that this technique helps when dealing with stress. Particularly when you're living life in the limelight, it's super important to step back and cleanse your mind. We wonder what other tips and tricks Rimes has passed onto her family?

References: axs.com, bloglingo.com, intothegloss.com, glamour.com