NASHVILLE, Tennessee- A California farmer’s daughter, Annie Bosko’s soulful, honey-soaked vocals and neo-traditional country sound has been perfected throughout her 10,000 + hours in the music industry. And while she doesn’t quite have that southern twang, her voice is exquisite. Even more importantly, she was raised on traditional country music.
She recalled, “My dad was a farmer. We would drive around in his truck and go look at the crops and he would play me country music. The first person I remember hearing is Patsy Cline. I remember this voice jumping at me through the speakers of his truck and I was like, ‘Oh, my God, what is this?’”
Her dad also liked Toby Keith, but his favorite was always George Strait. He was probably her biggest influence.
Her mom loved the Judds, and they listened to the Beatles and Beach Boys, too. However, a defining moment in her musical career was the first time she heard Shania Twain.
“It was like I fell in love. I knew that’s what I wanted to do. In her music videos, she’s like on a horse and she’s herding cattle. And I’m like, this is badass. She’s a real country girl,” the singer said.
Bosko began singing in church, and by the time she was a teen, she was doing musical theater and performing original music in clubs. She sang the Star-Spangled Banner at the Lakers’ game at age 17 and has regularly sung the National Anthem at NASCAR, NFL, NBA, PBR, MLB, and more since then.
By age 19, Bosko dropped out of college and decided to drive across the U.S. and give a shot at pursuing her country music dreams.
Because her voice is so strong and clear, when she arrived in Nashville, she was able to make a living singing backup for various country stars. She sang alongside Andrea Bocelli. Bosko has done backing vocals for Darius Rucker, Adele, Josh Groban, Dierks Bentley, Big & Rich, Josh Turner, and more.
Not only that, but because her creative aptitude got noticed, in 2016, the singer/songwriter got a publishing deal. That is when she put her focus on being her own artist.
She said, “You know what? I’m not going to wait anymore for a record deal or whomever. There are other ways for independent artists to put out music.”
Besides some covers, early on, she released songs such as the fun and sassy “Crooked Halo” and the heartfelt anthem “Fighter.”
However, the year before the pandemic, she had vocal surgery. And not too long after, she ran into Vince Gill at the Ryman, and he offered to “do something with me.” She knew it was time to do “this thing” for real.
When you hear Bosko’s music, she doesn’t shy away from fiddle or steel guitar, reminiscent of the country sound that raised her. She is skilled at infusing her unique western edge to create a style all her own.
Independently, she released the female empowerment song “Dust” and the Latino-influenced ballad “Companero.”
She has since teamed up with Dwight Yoakam, opening several shows for him, and has done a duet with Raul Malo of the Mavericks, “What Did I Do?” Her manager was so impressed by the song that it led to her getting a record deal with her current label, Stone Country Records.
“For the first time, I have a team supporting me,” she said.
Also, on March 27, she wrote “Dandelions,” a song Bosko co-wrote with Danny Myrick. She had started the song a year earlier when she lost her cousin, who was just 19 when she passed.
She remembered, “My aunt read a poem about dandelions. And I just kind of had that image in my head. This image is of a young girl blowing a dandelion in a field. It was in the springtime, which is like the time of rebirth.”
Then, one of her friends was dying of cancer, and coming to Nashville was on her bucket list. Everyone was astonished by her joy and positivity when she arrived. This event inspired Danny and Annie to finish the song idea that was in her head. While they were writing the song, they heard about the Covenant School Shooting.
“To write a song then was weird, but it felt like that was the right song to finish on that day as we saw the images of the kids and the people who died. And so we finished it on that day, and I made a little work tape,” she recalled.
Her manager distributed the tape to various entities, and it made its way to the Scruggs family, whose dad is the pastor at Covenant. His daughter, Halle, had been killed. Bosko sang the song multiple times at the memorial for Halle at their home.
Most recently, they used their heart-healing song “Dandelions” in the ACM Lifting Lives charity event to support mental health services for Covenant School families, faculty, and staff. Stone Country Records is donating all proceeds to the cause.
Since signing with the label in August, she recently had her Opry debut on September 30th. She said of the debut, “I have sung for hundreds of thousands of people on big stages. But playing the Opry, I was so nervous.”
She sang one of her newest songs, the sultry, whiskey-infused “Neon Baby,” and a yet-to-be-released single, “Sometimes I Forget.”
Another newly released tune from the country crooner is the good-time “Boots On,” a high-energy, modern anthem with a tip of the hat to ‘90s country. In conjunction with this release, Bosko will be featured in a national ad campaign for Ariat, the largest equestrian footwear and apparel company in the world.
Because Bosko is passionate about using her voice to uplift those who need it most, she has woven universally resonating themes of vulnerability and empowerment into her songs. With her earnest, pure vocals and country-western productions, she appeals to music lovers of all ages.
Be sure to keep up with Annie Bosko on her website, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, X (Twitter), and all streaming platforms.
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Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer. You can follow her blog, Instagram, Threads, and X (Twitter).
Photo “Annie Bosko” by Ford Fairchild.
