Amanda Shires is a singer-songwriter, musician, fiddle player, and poet. By age 10, she started playing fiddle after convincing her father to purchase the instrument at a pawn shop on the promise that she would learn how to play. By 12 years old, Amanda was taking lessons, most notably from Frankie McCourter of the Texas Playboys. She impressed quickly and was invited to play with the band at several shows before joining them in 1997 at 16. After graduating from Lubbock High School, Amanda attended South Plains College before graduating from Texas Tech University in 2004. While at South Plains College, she became a founding member of the Thrift Store Cowboys. Amanda has released seven solo albums and numerous performances with other artists and bands. She recorded the 2017 album The Nashville Sound with Jason Isbell. She was nominated for and won the 2018 Best Americana Album at the Grammy Awards and the International Album of the Year at the UK Americana Awards. Amanda is the founder of The Highwomen, a supergroup she performs with along with Maren Morris, Nathalie Hemby, and Brandi Carlile.
Amanda Shires was inducted into the West Texas Walk of Fame in 2022.
