‘I Wanna Fall In Love’ Singer Lila McCann Reveals The Real Reason She ‘Quit Music’
“I had a music executive basically tell me that there wasn’t room for me in country music anymore…”
Lila McCann; Photos via YouTube
In the late 1990s, country music fans were introduced to a young female artist named Lila McCann, who rose to fame thanks to a string of hits like “I Wanna Fall In Love” and “With You.” Now, nearly 30 years after her debut single, McCann is now opening up about why she stepped away from the music industry and what she’s been up to since.
Fans first met McCann, a bright-eyed teenage blonde, with the release of her breakout hit, “Down Came A Blackbird,” in 1997. This was her introduction to country radio and proved to be a smash as it peaked at No.28 on the charts.
Breakout Success
“Down Came A Blackbird” was featured on McCann’s debut album, Lila, which also included her biggest hit, “I Wanna Fall In Love.” This song catapulted her popularity and led to her album Lila being certified platinum for sales in excess of 1 million units.
With her career off to a running start, McCann landed a song on the Hope Floats soundtrack and followed up her successful debut with her sophomore album, Something in the Air. Released in 1999, this project included another well-known track, “With You,” which climbed into the Top 10 at country radio.
During the height of her popularity, Lila McCann was often compared to LeAnn Rimes as they had similar vocal stylings and were both young female artists making an impact on the charts.
Dropped From Her Label
Following the release of her second album, McCann was forced to switch record labels when Asylum Records’ Nashville offices closed. Her third project was released via Warner Bros., and sadly, this project didn’t have the success of her previous releases. She was ultimately dropped from the label.
A few years later, McCann resurfaced with a new label, when she signed with the then-indie label Broken Bow Records. She released a few singles, but they failed to make any kind of major impact at radio.
McCann seemingly disappeared from the spotlight at this time and went on to get married and have children.
Many years passed and in June of 2019, McCann came out as gay on Instagram, revealing that she was now married to a woman.
Why She Quit Music
In 2023, McCann resurfaced, this time on TikTok, where she shared an honest story about why she left the music industry.
“Where did I go? Why did I quit music? The answer is a long one, but I’m going to just keep it short, as short as I can. I didn’t go anywhere. I’m in Nashville. I’ve been here for the last 20 plus years,” she revealed. “In 2006, after recording several albums for a particular record label, I had a music executive basically tell me that there wasn’t room for me in country music anymore, and that I should probably utilize my time by finding a different career and not make music.”
She admitted feeling defeated and explained that she took his advice to heart.
@lila.mccann Lots of you have asked where ai have been, what an I up to and why did I quit country music. That story would take all day so heres the condensed version. #downcameablackbird #blackbird #lilamccann #countrymusictiktoks #countrymusic #90sthrowback #90scountry #femalecountryartist #90scountrymusic #knowyourworth #itsyourlife #empoweringwomenempowerwomen #empowerwomen ♬ original sound – Lila McCann
“So as you can imagine, as a 25-year-old woman, that was super shitty and a gut punch. But it also did kind of make me feel like maybe this wasn’t the place for me anymore. I was young and I don’t think I realized that I had so much available to me as far as just being involved in the music industry,” she shared.
Pointing out that the music industry “looked a lot different” at that time, McCann shared that she “never quit writing songs” and revealed how she spent all these years away from the spotlight.
“I have two beautiful children. They are grown men practically now, or at least they feel like it because they change so much every day. I’m married to an amazing human being. We have a great life here in Nashville,” she explained. “I’m a real estate broker in the state of Tennessee, so I get to help homeowners with the dream of building generational wealth for their families and buying and selling real estate in Tennessee. And that’s something I’ve been doing for the last five years, and I’m really passionate about it and the fantastic team of women that I work with. And that’s kind of it in a nutshell.”
Lila McCann has been relatively quiet on TikTok since then, however, she remains active on Instagram where she shares updates about her real estate business.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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