Karen Waldrup - Sharing the Night Together

 Karen Waldrup (born September 5, 1986) is an American singer-songwriter and touring musician. She rose to prominence after her cover of “I Hope You Dance” went viral and her online video content catalogue has amassed over 400 million views. Waldrup has released numerous EPs, singles, and a debut record that have received various awards and nominations, including 12 Nashville Industry Music Awards.  Since her childhood, she was interested in music and singing. She began writing songs and honing her craft on the guitar from the age of 16.  Waldrup began her career in country music in 2008. Her debut EP, With Love, Karen was released in 2009 followed by Karen Waldrup (2010), The Beginning (2012), and her single “Sharing the Night Together” in 2014 by Sony Red. During this time, Waldrup made her debut TV appearance on Bravo TV’s music competition show, Platinum Hit. In 2015, Waldrup made another appearance by competing in Nashville Rising Star where she was a finalist on the show. Around that time, she then released her EP record, Getaway as well as released five singles from 2016-2017 in anticipation of her debut LP record, Justified. One single from this time, “I’ve Been Waiting for You,” was featured in the Netflix film, Scales: Mermaids are Real.

July of 2018 marked the release of Waldrup’s debut album, Justified. The debut album was produced by award-winning producer, Garth Fundis, who has worked with artists such as Alabama, Trisha Yearwood, and Don Williams among others. It debuted at No. 26 on the Billboard Top Country Album charts, No. 44 on the Independent Album charts, No. 14 on the Heatseekers charts, and No. 7 on the Heatseekers South Central. In 2018, Waldrup also made her first partnership with Mission of Hope: Haiti where her fans, coined Waldrup Worldwide, came together to fund the construction of a home in Haiti (read more under Philanthropic Work section). In 2019, Waldrup released two singles. “Me Again” featured fellow country artist William Michael Morgan with a music video of the song on CMT, Country Rebel, and more. She ended the year with a holiday song “Everything We Need for Christmas.”  As the pandemic hit in March of 2020, Waldrup moved all of her shows to virtual platforms where she hosted dozens of digital online events. Of these shows included the “Cabin Fever Series” and “Digital Pep Rallies” where she played concerts virtually for her listeners. She also hosted “HOMEFEST” where she was able to play live music for small groups while adhering COVID restrictions. During the pandemic, Waldrup released three singles over the course of the year including “Breakthrough,” “I Go by Jane Doe,” and “Mary’s Very First Christmas.” On July 9, 2021, Waldrup released a single titled “Over the Ocean” in tribute to those lost throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. The song was written by Karen Waldrup, Ben Russell, and Brandon Darcy and was produced by Brandon Darcy.  Waldrup has won numerous awards throughout her career. In this count includes 12 Nashville Industry Music Awards and was the recipient of the 2019 Torch Award from the Keith Whitley Fingerprint on Country Music Awards.