This edition of the Museum’s “Nashville Cats” series, which spotlights musicians who have made significant contributions to country music, honors acclaimed vocalist Wendy Moten. The program, hosted by the Museum’s Jon Freeman, was recorded on May 16, 2026.

During this program, Moten shares her musical journey, from growing up in Memphis surrounded by a mix of musical styles to building a career that led her to tour with artists ranging from Julio Iglesias to Vince Gill. She also discusses her solo career, tells stories about the creation of her country album, and talks about her experience as a contestant on “The Voice.” To conclude the program, Moten performs “Come in Out of the Rain,” “Til I Get It Right,” and “Ain’t No Way,” accompanied by her musical director, Clay Perry.

Moten’s voice has been both steady support and the star of the show at different points in her career. The Memphis native grew up singing in church and later attended Overton High School, where she sang in the school’s famed competition choir, led by Lulah Hedgeman. A professional singer by sixteen, Moten sang backup on a Michael Bolton release, then signed with EMI to release her self-titled debut album in 1992. Her singles “Come in Out of the Rain” and “So Close to Love” charted in the United States and the United Kingdom, but her momentum stalled. Moten found regular work as a backup singer, first with Spanish star Julio Iglesias for fifteen years, then for Faith Hill, Martina McBride, and Tim McGraw. In recent years, she has served as a featured singer on Vince Gill’s tours. In studio sessions, Moten has lent her voice to recordings by a diverse group of artists, including Garth Brooks, Buddy Guy, Thomas Rhett, Joss Stone, Carrie Underwood, and many others. In the early 2020s, she took a risk and tried out for the NBC singing competition “The Voice,” on which she was chosen to be part of coach Blake Shelton’s team.

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