January 25, 2008 (2008-01-25) – March 7, 2009 (2009-03-07)
Prince protege Sheila E. won the third season, making her the only female winner of the show
Gone Country is an American celebrity reality television show in which contestants compete to become a country music singer.[1] The winner gets a country single produced by host John Rich, one-half of the country duo Big & Rich.[2] It aired on CMT, with reruns on TV Land, and VH1. On the first-season finale, Julio Iglesias Jr. was named the winner.[3]
Gone Country uproots these seven musical celebrities and moves them into a Nashville mansion together to embark on a two-week adventure, hosted by singer-songwriter John Rich. Each celebrity will be paired up with some of Nashville's finest songwriters in an attempt to prepare them for a career in country music. In each episode, the cast competes against each other in challenges that will test them musically and physically to adapt to a country music lifestyle, both on and off the stage. At the end of the two weeks, the artist who is most prepared to impress a country audience, as determined by Rich, will record and release a song.[4]
Irene Cara – played "Coco Hernandez" in the film Fame in 1980 and also is best known for the theme songs for both "Fame" and Flashdance.[17] Left the show in episode 2 after Sean Young's drunken actions during the night.
