Jo Dee Messina is in the midst of a comeback.
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As we reported earlier this year, the red-haired "I'm Alright" singer posted a clip of her new single on TikTok. It certainly looks like Messina is ready to return to the spotlight.
However, getting there the first time wasn't a smooth ride. The 55-year-old icon shared on The Bobby Bones Show that a label once rejected her because of her weight.
A Label Once Rejected Jo Dee Messina Because She Was "Too Fat"
The incident happened early in Messina's career, before she achieved mainstream success.
"I remember I got turned down by a record label in Nashville. They said I was too fat," she told Bones. "They told my producer that, 'Oh, if she was 10 pounds lighter, we'd have signed her.'"
Messina then added that those words "devastated" her. In fact, they've stayed with her for decades.
"It's 30 years later, I'm still talking about it," she said. "I didn't let it go."
However, it was Messina's sister, whom the artist called her "greatest support," that told the singer to press on. She told her to "just keep going."
"They say you have to get passed on a thousand times before you get a deal," she added.
As Messina sings in her new song, "some bridges are meant to burn."
It's Been a Remarkable Journey for Messina
At the height of her popularity, Messina had nine number one hits, 16 Top 40 songs, and awards and nominations from the ACM, CMA, AMA, Billboard, and Grammy Awards.
But although she never really went anywhere, the "Heads Carolina, Tails California" singer had to take some time off from the spotlight.
In 2017, three years after releasing her crowd-funded full-length album Me, Messina was diagnosed with cancer. The diagnosis caused her to postpone tour dates that year so she could undergo treatment.
"I'm leaning on God," she told PEOPLE a year after her diagnosis. "I'm letting Him take charge. It's what's best for my soul right now. Every biopsy and every result...it feels like an eternity goes by. I know that God has me. I'm filled with gratitude and joy."
Since then, she has continued to release new songs and tour. She's also been posting on TikTok regularly for years, giving fans plenty of fun content.
