Jana Kramer

Early life

Kramer was born in Rochester Hills, Michigan, to Nora and Martin Kramer. Kramer attended Rochester Adams High School. She speaks some German. She has a brother, Steve.

2002–11: Acting career and record deal

In 2002, Kramer made her acting debut in the low-budget independent horror film Dead/Undead. The following year Kramer guest appeared on All My Children, which marked Kramer's television debut. Kramer has since continued to appear in a number of television shows such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice and CSI: NY. She has also had small supporting roles in films such as Click, Prom Night and Spring Breakdown.

In 2007, Kramer appeared in a recurring role on the NBC sports drama television series Friday Night Lights. She played the role of Noelle Davenport in the series' second season. In 2008 Kramer appeared in The CW teen drama series 90210, a reboot of the 1990s teen drama television series Beverly Hills 90210. Kramer played the role of high school student Portia Ranson and made her debut in the first season's second episode "The Jet Set". Her role went on for six episodes and Kramer made her final appearance in "The Party's Over", which aired May 5, 2009.

In 2009, Kramer appeared on the HBO dramedy television series Entourage. Kramer played the role of a sorority girl who seduces the character Turtle (Jerry Ferrara), and appeared in four episodes.

In June 2009, it was announced Kramer would star in the CW drama television series seventh season of One Tree Hill. Kramer played the role of Alex Dupre, an actress and tabloid darling who becomes the new face of Brooke Davis's fashion line, "Clothes Over Bros", and creates havoc for the residents of Tree Hill. Kramer made her debut in the season's first episode. Initially Kramer's appearance on the show was meant to be in a recurring form, but her role was upgraded to a series regular by the season's fourteenth episode, "Family Affair". In March 2012, Kramer announced she would not appear regularly in the show's ninth and final season in order to pursue her music career. Kramer made her final appearance in the second episode of the ninth season, "In the Room Where You Sleep", which aired on January 18, 2012.

In February 2011, Kramer signed a recording contract with Elektra Records. That same month she premiered her promo track, "I Won't Give Up", which premiered in the One Tree Hill episode, "Holding Out for a Hero", and was released the following day exclusively on iTunes and Amazon. The song reached number 75 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The following month Kramer began work on her debut album. Country music producer Scott Hendricks produced the majority of the record. In April 2011, Kramer released another promo track, titled "Whiskey", which she also performed on One Tree Hill. The song reached number 99 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on digital sales alone.

2012–present: Continued acting, Jana Kramer, and Dancing with the Stars

In February 2012, Kramer was cast as the protagonist in the independent drama film, Heart of the Country, playing the role of a privileged young woman, Faith Carraday, who is following her show-biz dreams but leaves it all and moves to rural North Carolina after her husband is jailed for Wall Street fraud. Kramer is also attached to a horror film named The Gatekeeper.

On January 16, 2012, Kramer released her official debut single, "Why Ya Wanna". Kramer premiered the official music video, directed by Kristin Barlowe, on February 6, 2012. The song peaked at number 52 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. "Whiskey" is the album's second official single.

On June 1, 2012, Kramer made her first televised live performance on Fox & Friends to promote her debut album. She performed "Why Ya Wanna" in front of a crowd of fans in New York City. On June 5, 2012, Kramer released her self-titled debut album Jana Kramer. The record received positive reviews from critics with many praising Kramer's vocal performance.

On June 5, 2013, Nationwide Insurance released the first of a series of commercials in its "Join the Nation" campaign, featuring Kramer as a stealthy woman dressed in black leather who follows a team of burglars and replaces the items they steal with newer versions to promote Nationwide's "Brand New Belongings" initiative. Nationwide had signed Kramer to sing the Nationwide jingle in August 2012. A second commercial, released in April 2014, featured Kramer's character replacing items in a fire-blackened apartment to promote Nationwide's renters' insurance. In November 2014, Jana reprised her Nationwide role, this time as a sexy Santa Claus-like figure replacing items during Christmas season. Nationwide's advertising partner McKinney is behind the spots.

In July 2013, Kramer opened for Blake Shelton on his Ten Times Crazier Tour in Virginia Beach, VA.

In August 2013, the independent film Approaching Midnight starring Kramer had its world premiere at the Emagine Royal Oak in Michigan.

On August 30, 2016, Kramer was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete on season 23 of Dancing with the Stars. She was partnered with professional partner Gleb Savchenko. Kramer and Savchenko reached the finals of the show and finished in 4th place.

Personal life

Kramer married Michael Gambino in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2004. They divorced several months later.

On December 22, 2009, Kramer became engaged to actor Johnathon Schaech. The couple met on the set of Prom Night. They were married on July 4, 2010 in Glen Arbor, Michigan. The couple separated a month later. Their divorce was finalized in June 2011.

It was announced in September 2012 that Kramer was dating country music singer Brantley Gilbert. They met at the 2012 CMT Music Awards in June. They got engaged on January 20, 2013, his twenty-eighth birthday, but split in August 2013.

In August 2014, Kramer began dating Washington Redskins tight end Mike Caussin, whom she met on Twitter. She announced just weeks later on social media and during a show, however, that they had split up because he cheated on her. Shortly after that, she publicly forgave him, and they got back together. During CMA week in November 2014, Kramer spoke for the first time about her failed relationship with Gilbert, saying she was in an unhealthy place and as a result, picked unhealthy relationships. She spoke of her relationship with Caussin saying she was now in a healthy place and a healthy relationship. Jana Kramer and Michael Caussin became engaged in December 2014 on her 31st birthday, and were married on May 22, 2015. On August 10, 2015, the couple revealed they were expecting their first child, a girl. Kramer gave birth to their daughter, Jolie Rae Caussin, on January 31, 2016, in Nashville. In August 2016, it was announced that Kramer and Caussin had separated in the midst of his admission into rehab for undisclosed purposes. She later said that he cheated on her again during their marriage.

Dancing with the Stars

On August 30, 2016, Kramer was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete on season 23 of Dancing with the Stars. She was partnered with professional partner Gleb Savchenko. Kramer and Savchenko reached the finals of the show and finished in 4th place.

¹ Score given by guest judge Pitbull.
² Score given by guest judge Idina Menzel.

Discography