She is the daughter of George Morgan, widow of Keith Whitley, and ex-wife of Jon Randall and Sammy Kershaw, all of whom are also country music singers.
The 1995 compilation Reflections: Greatest Hits is her best-selling album with a double-platinum certification; War Paint, Greater Need, and Shakin' Things Up, also on BNA, are certified gold.
Morgan has recorded in collaboration with her father, as well as Whitley, Randall, Kershaw, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Mathis, Tammy Wynette, The Beach Boys, Dolly Parton, Andy Williams, the New World Philharmonic, and Pam Tillis.
Morgan's musical style is defined largely by country pop influences and her dramatic singing voice, with frequent stylistic comparisons to Tammy Wynette.
[1] Morgan's employment at Acuff-Rose led to her signing with that company's Hickory Records label,[5] which issued two singles in 1979: "Two People in Love" and "Tell Me I'm Only Dreaming," written by Eddy Raven and Liz Anderson, respectively.
[2][1] During the early 1980s, Morgan continued to tour primarily in night clubs, and served as an opening act for Billy ThunderKloud & the Chieftones, Jeannie Seely, and Jack Greene, among others.
[2] She also toured as a backing vocalist for George Jones, made guest appearances on the television series Nashville Now, and in 1984 became the youngest inductee of the Grand Ole Opry.
[2] Barry Beckett was the album's producer,[5] and contributing songwriters included Mike Reid, Jon Vezner, and Beth Nielsen Chapman.
"[9] The Chicago Tribune writer Jack Hurst rated the album four out of four stars, referring to it as "fine, well-produced songs and a compelling performer".
[14] Brian Mansfield of AllMusic reviewed Something in Red favorably, noting that it had fewer "sad songs" than its predecessor while highlighting the "laidback country and ballads like the title track".
This resulted in her then-manager, Jack McFadden, suing her for $2,000,000 for early termination of contract, and she had to undergo pre-bankruptcy reorganization to counter the fees of the lawsuit.
[17] Alanna Nash of Entertainment Weekly rated the album "B", stating that "Morgan is a take-charge singer with more than a little vulnerability beneath her steely surface as well as an ability to adopt pop stylings without straining her country credibility.
The album featured orchestral accompaniment from the New World Philharmonic orchestra, and duets with Tammy Wynette (a medley titled "A Christmas Festival"), Andy Williams ("Little Snow Girl"), and Johnny Mathis ("Blue Snowfall").
[19] The album charted two seasonal entries on Hot Country Songs: a rendition of "My Favorite Things" in late 1993, and of "Sleigh Ride" two years later.
[2] Morgan sang "Little Snow Girl" with Williams as part of a Christmas special hosted at his Moon River Theater in Branson, Missouri which also aired on the television network PBS, and said that she chose to perform with him because she had been a fan of his music since childhood.
[11] War Paint also accounted for Morgan's first writing credits on one of her own albums in the title track and "If You Came Back from Heaven", the latter of which she wrote as a tribute to Whitley.
[25] Also included were two cover songs: Jeannie Seely's "Don't Touch Me" and George Jones' "A Good Year for the Roses", which she recorded as a duet with Sammy Kershaw.
"[26] Nash noted Morgan's ability to sing songs with "intimacy" and "attitude", but criticized the "Native American stereotypes" of the title track.
[30] James Stroud produced the album, and contributing musicians included Dann Huff, Paul Franklin, Billy Joe Walker Jr., Glenn Worf, Alison Krauss, and former Toto member David Hungate.
[31] Thom Owens of AllMusic, Alanna Nash of Entertainment Weekly, and Jeffrey B. Remz of Country Standard Time all praised the album for its varied sounds, with particular emphasis on its ballads.
[34] Tom Roland of The Tennessean considered the album her strongest since Something in Red, saying that it "combines a commanding, upbeat attitude with a few moments of subtle disturbance.
"[33] Remz highlighted the vocal performance on the Shirelles cover and the single "One of Those Nights Tonight" in particular, while calling the Bill Anderson composition "I've Enjoyed as Much of This as I Can Stand" the strongest song.
[44] In 2001, RCA Nashville (of which BNA was a division at the time) signed both Morgan and Kershaw, who had just ended his tenure with Mercury, to a one-album deal.
[2] Maria Konicki Dinoia of AllMusic showed favor toward the contrast in the two singers' voices, highlighting the more uptempo songs such as "He Drinks Tequila" in particular.
It features fourteen covers of traditional country songs, and duets with Tracy Lawrence and The Mavericks' lead singer Raul Malo.
Morgan also felt that the comparisons to Wynette in her singing style and song choices were helpful in making her music appeal to female fans.
"[24] Writing for The Times of Northwest Indiana, Jim Patterson stated that "Like Wynette, Morgan is tough but vulnerable, scarred by tragedy and dogged by the tabloids.
[63] Also in 1996, she was one of many artists to contribute to "Hope: Country Music's Quest for a Cure", a multi-artist charity single sponsored by the T. J. Martell Foundation to promote leukemia research.
[25] Morgan began dating American football player Troy Aikman in late 1993, but they amicably separated by year's end.
[69] Morgan married country singer Jon Randall in 1996,[70] and a year later, she published an autobiography, Forever Yours, Faithfully: My Love Story.