Crystal Shawanda Makes Music History

Crystal Shawanda's new album, 'Dawn of a New Day,' debuted at No. 16 on the country albums charts this week, making her the highest charting Native American country artist in the history of SoundScan.

Shawanda, which means "dawn of a new day" in her native Ojibwe language, grew up on the Wikwemikong reservation in Canada. Her father was a truck driver and made regular trips to Nashville for work. As a little girl, she'd sometimes ride along, and got inspired by peering in the window of Nashville's famed Tootsie's Orchid Lounge to watch the musicians performing there.

Shawanda made her own album at age 12 and sold it to help pay for future trips to Nashville to pursue her career. Those trips eventually paid off, and she was signed to RCA Records in 2007. Shawanda's first radio single, 'You Can Let Go,' is currently in the Top 20 on the country song charts ... and rising.