Gretchen Wilson Caps Education

Gretchen Wilson photo by Kristin Barlowe, courtesy of SonyBMG.

May 5, 2008 - Pomp and circumstance go quite nicely with the "Redneck Woman." Gretchen Wilson passed a test last month to earn her GED, and she'll collect her diploma in the traditional cap and gown May 15 at a high school in Wilson County, Tenn.

"It's something that I should have done a long time ago, and now I can file it away," Gretchen told The Tennessean. "I'm just walking a little taller."

Gretchen quit school back in Illinois when she got married, and her dedication to her education is admirable. After all, there are plenty of people with diplomas who would love to have the kind of success Gretchen has achieved: hit records, gold albums and a 400-acre piece of land. But she recognized that her daughter, Grace, will come to her at some point and ask for help with homework.

"I don't want to be the dummy that says, 'I don't know how to do that,'" Gretchen confessed. "And I certainly don't want her to think you can be this successful without an education."

Gretchen got above-average scores in all of her subjects except for math, where she struggled. She crammed for 2½ hours the night before the exam, and was able to pull through. Ultimately, finding the time to study was her biggest challenge. She had a daughter to raise, a new album to record and numerous commitments as a touring artist who is constantly packing and unpacking her belongings in cities across the nation. Finding time for learning on the road was tough.

"I pulled the book out 500 times and tried, and opened it and I read the first chapter of three different books over and over again," she said. "I tell people all the time, my quiet, alone, peaceful moments are very few and far between. I almost have to go to the bathroom to get those. I think a lot of women get that way — women that are busy, that work for a living and have children and are doing a lot and have a lot of things going on, you tend to put yourself last."

Gretchen will likely discuss her education — as well as her career and other aspects of her personal life — during the CMA Celebrity Close Up Series June 5 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Slated during the CMA Music Festival, the event is a question-and-answer session, moderated by Lorianne Crook, in which fans get to hear the ins and outs of life for Gretchen, as well as Randy Travis and Taylor Swift. Tickets are $12 in advance or $17 the day of the event. To purchase, call 1-800-CMA-FEST (262-3378) or visit ticketmaster.com.