While country music is usually thought of as a purely American invention, its influence has spread around the world, and Fiona Culley is a vocalist whose career demonstrates its universal appeal. Culley was born and raised in Lichfield, a small town in Staffordshire, England. Her father was a big fan of female vocalists with country influences, so young Fiona spent many hours listening to artists like Linda Ronstadt, Trisha Yearwood, and Alison Krauss. Their songs resonated with Fiona, and she learned to play guitar and began writing songs of her own, reflecting her own experiences with small-town life. When she was 16, Culley left Lichfield for London, hoping to make a go of a career in music. While working a variety of day jobs, including serving as a beauty therapist and brewing tea at the office of an independent record label, Culley performed in pubs by night, honing her craft as a performer. She released a single in 2009, "Something to Die For," and landed a regular gig at a club called the Troubadour as word began to spread about her talent. In 2013, Culley was at a restaurant when she saw that Darius Rucker, the former frontman of Hootie & the Blowfish turned country star, was dining there. Throwing caution to the wind, Culley walked over to his table and delivered an a cappella performance of Kara DioGuardi's song "Strangers and Angels." Despite the unorthodox circumstances, Rucker and his manager liked what they heard, and the vocalist invited Culley to come to Nashville and sing backup on some of his recordings. Later that year, Culley released an EP titled Country Til Monday, and continued to perform regularly in the U.K. When a representative from Sony Music saw one of Culley's shows at the Troubadour, he suggested that she should relocate to Nashville, Tennessee if she really wanted to have a career in country music. Culley took his advice, and left London for Music City. In 2014, she recorded a cover of Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud" that became a viral hit online, with the video quickly racking up over two million plays. In 2016, Culley once again teamed up with Darius Rucker to record the song "Life on the Line," which became the theme song for a movie of the same name starring John Travolta and Sharon Stone. After striking a deal with the independent Marro Records label, Culley released the single "Anywhere with You," in 2016. In 2017 Culley unveiled the follow-up track, "Act Like a Lady," which quickly became her most popular song on streaming services. ~ Mark Deming