One of the most popular female country singers of the late '80s, Holly Dunn was born in San Antonio in 1957 and was the sister of future country songwriting pro Chris Waters. In high school, she performed with a group called the Freedom Folk, which toured the south and performed at the White House bicentennial celebration. While attending Abilene Christian University, she sang with the school's Hilltop Singers touring choir, and also co-wrote a song with her brother called "Out of Sight, Not Out of Mind." It was recorded by Cristy Lane, which convinced Dunn to try her luck in Nashville after graduation. She worked as a demo singer for a time before joining her brother as a staff songwriter at CBS.