She came out of rural Minnesota to catch country music listeners' ears and capture their hearts with "The Bed You Made for Me" in early 1987.
From that point on, Paulette Carlson, the lovable, low-key "farm girl" from Moose Lake, Minn., sang Highway 101 to the top of the charts.But they split up at the end of last year, and Nikki Nelson, 22, a redhead from Nevada, replaced the blond Carlson as lead singer. With the old Highway 101 crew behind her - Jack Daniels, Curtis Stone and Cactus Moser - Nelson has sung the group to its second big radio hit.
But Carlson's fans aren't being shortchanged.
Warner Bros. has released an excellent video of four of her greatest hits with Highway 101. Meanwhile, she has completed work on her first solo album, "Love Goes On."
And, at the age of 37, Carlson's a mother for the first time. Cali Gabriel was born July 10 in Anchorage, Alaska, where Carlson and husband Randy Smith live when they're not on their farm near Nashville. He works in construction in Alaska.
Carlson put together a band and began touring in November with Cali and a nanny along on the bus.
While awaiting the arrival of Cali, Carlson used the time to write songs. She had a hand in writing seven of the 10 on her coming album. The first single, "I'll Start With You," should be on radio by month's end.
Carlson's distinctive, pure-traditional country voice is as good as ever on "Love Goes On." And the musicians are some of Nashville's best, including Sonny Garrish and Paul Franklin doing the steel guitar work. Carlson is best on sad love songs, traditional country or two-steppers.
That's why she shines brightest on "Where Ya Comin' From?" "Not With My Heart You Don't" and "Someone I Used To Know." But her sassy way to end a failing romance comes across just right, too, with the uptempo "I'll Start With You."