“Maybe my journey can help people. I feel like a new purpose has been added to my life.”
When ACM and CMA nominated country artist, Anita Cochran, was diagnosed with triple positive breast cancer in August of 2017, she had no idea how tough the road ahead would be. After her first round of chemotherapy sent her into the hospital, her doctor quickly took her off the road for the rest of the year because she would be unable to tour due to the effects of the cancer treatments. Cochran turned to her songwriting as a creative outlet and form of musical therapy. The result is her latest single titled “Fight Like A Girl”, which carries a message of strength and determination in the face of incredible challenge. “Because I’m a fighter, I’m a survivor, you ain’t gonna change my world” Cochran sings in the powerful anthem. The words are inspiring not just to those battling cancer, but to men and women alike who are facing their own personal trials.
“My story is about my battle with breast cancer,” Cochran says, “but there are so many people out there who are trying to push past barriers and that’s what this song is about. Everyone is battling something. It’s for all of us. I hope it can help give strength and encouragement.” Cochran’s battle has inspired her to get involved in the fight against breast cancer by bringing awareness to the disease and educating others. Giving back has always been of paramount importance to Cochran from the very beginning, so she knew she wanted to share her story. In her blog, titled “Journey to Healing”, she gives candid insight about her treatments and provides support and educational information for people experiencing a similar challenge. Cochran also created a visually stunning video for “Fight Like A Girl” that has already garnered critical acclaim. The video recently won “Best Music Video” at the Creation International Film Festival 2018.
In October 2018, Cochran was invited to appear and perform “Fight Like A Girl” during a special edition of ABC’s Good Morning America with Robin Roberts to promote breast cancer awareness and to raise money for research and to help those battling breast cancer. Cochran devoted proceeds from the sale of her song “Fight Like A Girl” to various breast cancer charities, including her own The Love Anchors Fund, which Cochran established in 2018 to benefit cancer research and those affected by breast cancer who may be unable to work or otherwise afford essentials.
Anita Cochran isnʼt just a singer, sheʼs a girl with a guitar! Named after legendary Anita Carter of The Carter Family, Cochran was destined for a career in music. Her parents hailing from the state of Kentucky, Cochran grew up on Country, Bluegrass and Gospel music. Her parents moved to Michigan and formed a band when Cochran was 1, and at the age of 5, she joined the family band as a guitar player/singer. Cochran toured every weekend with the family band eventually leaving them for a solo career when she reached her dream and signed with Warner Bros. Records in 1994.
Her debut record “Back To You” made Country Music History when she became the first female artist to produce, sing, write and play multiple instruments, including lead guitar, on a debut record. That record garnished her first number one song with a song she penned by herself called “What If I Said”, a duet she recorded with Steve Wariner. The song topped all the charts at radio throughout the US and Canada for the #1 position for two weeks and brought Cochran other numerous awards including CMA and ACM nominations and won the TNN/Music City News Awards (now known as the CMT Awards) for Vocal Event. Cochran quickly became a favorite of the Grand Ole Opry making her Debut in 1997. It also garnished her the #1 Video spot on both CMT and GAC. Gibson Guitar recognized Cochran’s talent on guitar and presented her with their award “Best Female Guitar Player”. To this day she is still the only country female lead guitar player that has been signed to a major record label that not only plays lead guitar live but on all of her recordings. Cochran says, “I never knew one without the other. When I learned to play guitar around the age of 4, I started singing with it. I grew up with all my aunts and my mother playing guitar. I never realized it was different to see a girl play lead guitar until I signed with Warner Bros. Records and moved to Nashville.” “Some of the highlights of my career have been getting to play guitar with my heroʼs like Steve Wariner, Vince Gill and Ricky Skaggs. Other than my father, those guys were my teachers. I learned so much from their playing growing up.” In a world of males dominating lead guitar Cochran says, “I just donʼt think many people take women musicians as seriously as they do men, tho I never thought guitars were only made for a man.”
Cochran’s sophomore release brought continued success when it caught the attention of Hollywood movie producers of the “Dukes Of Hazard in Hollywood” movie where Cochran co-starred alongside Toby Keith. Cochran played Tom Wopat’s love interest in the film, which included 4 original songs from Cochran’s sophomore release throughout the film. This record also got the attention of General Motors who brought Cochran together with the late NASCAR driver Dale Earnhart and artist Peter Max to team up for a year promotion together in which they sponsored her tour. 
Cochran made music history again when she wrote and recorded her critically acclaimed song called ʼI Wanna Hear A Cheatinʼ Songʼ that quickly became the #1 song on WSM radio in Nashville. A song she wrote as a tribute to her Country Music idols and featured the voice of Conway Twitty. It was the first time in history that a deceased artist sang a brand new song. Cochran spent two years on this project researching all of Twitty’s recordings looking for the words she needed. How did she do it? Cochran explains, “When recording a vocal, the artist might sing the song 1 – 100 times in the studio. Then the engineer or producer will pull the best performances out of all the vocal recordings they just recorded and put them together. Thatʼs called “comping a vocal”. Sometimes they use a word, a sentence or an entire section. This is exactly what I did for Twitty’s new vocal except…his vocal came from 32 different songs…not the same song. His vocal was not computer generated, he sang every word. It was simply a vocal comp.” Twittyʼs family loved the project so much that they brought Cochran in as their Musical Director for the critically acclaimed Musical of Twittyʼs life.
Cochran has had numerous singles at radio and her videos have aired on CMT and GAC. Her career has taken her throughout the US, but also has taken her internationally around the world with numerous dates touring Japan, Italy, Norway, France, Poland, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Mexico, and extensive touring throughout Canada.
When Cochran is not on the road, you can find her writing, recording or producing other artists such as Tammy Cochran’s (no relation) “Where I Am” release.
Cochran continuously tours and is now writing for a new record in follow-up to her 2018 single release “Fight Like A Girl”.
Anita Cochran Digital Press Kit
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