Whitney Duncan

Early life

Duncan was born on August 3, 1984, in Scotts Hill, Tennessee, a town consisting of only 900 people. Her father is a state environmentalist and her mother is a schoolteacher. Her grandfather introduced her to music. Duncan began singing at her church, later performing in local talent shows, fairs, and festivals. She would also travel to the neighboring states of Kentucky and Missouri to perform at events. In her early teens, she began to travel to Nashville to perform at local clubs, including Tootsie's Lounge.

Music career

In her senior year of high school, Duncan signed a recording contract with a label, cutting a few songs she had written. One of these songs was "My World Is Over", which became a duet with Kenny Rogers, and appeared on his 42 Ultimate Hits album in 2004. A single was made of their duet, and charted for one week on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in July 2004. Afterwards, Duncan parted ways with the label. In 2006, she opened for the CMA Music festival, performing the national anthem and singing the next day as well.

In 2007, Duncan participated on the USA network show Nashville Star and self-released her debut album. After coming in fifth place, she signed to Warner Bros. Records Nashville. Her first solo single, "When I Said I Would" was released from the label in August 2008, peaking at No. 48 on the U.S. country charts. The second single, "The Bed You Made," followed in December 2008 and failed to chart. The third single, "Skinny Dippin" was released in July 2009, and debuted at No. 60 and reached No. 48 as well. A Christmas digital single, a cover version of the Mariah Carey hit "All I Want for Christmas Is You", was issued in November 2008. A digital EP titled Selections From Right Road Now was released in December 2008.

Duncan's debut album, Right Road Now, was originally slated for a May 2009 release, but was pushed back due to the lackluster success of the singles. The album was released digitally and through Amazon.com on compact disc on April 20, 2010.

Duncan's song "So Sorry Mama" is featured in the 2011 movie Footloose, and on its soundtrack. She sang and co-wrote "So Sorry Mama" with John Shanks and Gordie Sampson. "So Sorry Mama" was also on her Right Road Now CD released on Warner Brothers in 2010. Duncan released a new single called "That's How You Make Love" on July 31, 2012.

In 2016, Duncan founded the band Post Monroe with Ashlee Hewitt and Shelby McLeod but in late 2017 the band became a duo after Shelby departed the group.

''Survivor''

Beginning September 2011, Duncan appeared as a contestant on the CBS reality television series, Survivor: South Pacific, as part of the Savaii tribe. Duncan quickly formed a very close, romantic bond with her fellow tribemate Keith Tollefson, and the two teamed up with Jim Rice and another pair within the tribe—Ozzy Lusth and Elyse Umemoto—early on in the game. At the urging of Rice, Duncan cooperated in the elimination of Umemoto to limit Lusth's power.

At the merge, Duncan and the rest of the old Savaiis were betrayed by former tribemate John Cochran, which led to the entire former Savaii tribe being voted out one by one. Duncan herself was voted out on Day 27 after having barely lost a challenge that would have kept her safe for another round; Duncan and another one of her former Savaii colleagues Dawn Meehan then lost the Redemption Island duel the next day against Lusth, officially eliminating both Duncan and Meehan from the game. Duncan finished ninth overall and was the fourth member of the jury, where she was later one of the six jury members who voted for Sophie Clarke to win the season.

Several years later, in the official issue of CBS Watch magazine commemorating the 15th anniversary of Survivor, Duncan was voted by viewers as the fifth most attractive female contestant in Survivor history.

Personal life

Duncan was a first cousin to Holly Bobo, who was murdered in 2011, in a case that received national media attention.

Duncan dated actor/musician Christian Kane from approximately 2006 to early 2010. His 2010 song "American Made" makes reference to her as "a Tennessee Girl that will always have a place in my heart." Duncan co-wrote (with her cousin Jonathan Singleton) "Making Circles," which also appeared on Kane's 2010 album, The House Rules.

Duncan married musician Donny Fallgatter on August 1, 2010, in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, after two months of dating. The couple's divorce was granted in November 2011. The two married in July 2014. Whitney had her first child in 2022 with Keith Tollefson

She and Tollefson, as an engaged couple, raced together on The Amazing Race 25, where they were the fourth team eliminated on the fifth leg of the race after being U-Turned by the mother/daughter team of Shelley and Nici, finishing in eighth place.

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Singles

Guest singles

Other charted songs

Music videos

Singles written by Duncan

References

References

1. "Whitney Duncan info". Whitney Duncan.com.
2. Leggett, Steve. "Whitney Duncan biography".
3. "CMT biography – Whitney Duncan". [[Country Music Television]].
4. "Meet the top 10 finalists for Nashville Star season 5".
5. "Postmonroe - Benefits of Hybrid Cars to the environment".
6. "Survivor: South Pacific – Meet Whitney". [[CBS.
7. "Brenda Lowe on Instagram: "Voted "steamiest" by the Survivor fans... Uuulala I'll take it! 😋#survivor30seasons #thanks!"".
8. (April 15, 2011). "Holly Bobo Cousin".
9. "Whitney Duncan (Almost!) Divorced From Donny Fallgatter".
10. (February 28, 2017). "A Chart Topping Dress". Discovery Communications, LLC.
11. Gomez, Patrick. (February 21, 2013). "''Survivor'''s Whitney Duncan: From Secret Marriage to Divorce to Engagement!". Time, Inc..
12. (April 18, 2022). "'Survivor' Couple Are Expecting a Child".
13. (April 18, 2022). "Survivor: Whitney Duncan Announces Pregnancy with Former Castmate Keith".
14. (May 31, 2014). "Cast features survivor veterans, surfer Bethany Hamilton".
15. "CMT : Videos : Whitney Duncan : Roll All Night". [[Country Music Television]].