Cassadee Pope

Cassadee Pope Bio

Cassadee Blake Pope, born on August 28, 1989, in West Palm Beach, Florida, is an American singer-songwriter whose career has moved between pop-punk and country music. She first gained attention as the lead vocalist and primary songwriter of the pop-punk band Hey Monday before launching a solo career in 2012. That same year, she became the first female winner of season 3 of the NBC singing competition The Voice, working under coach Blake Shelton.

After her reality television breakthrough, Pope signed with Republic Nashville and released her debut country album, Frame by Frame, in 2013. She later returned to her pop-punk roots, a transition that led to new solo releases in the 2020s. Across both genres she has earned chart success, a Grammy nomination, and a reputation for honest, emotionally driven songwriting.

Early Life and Background

Cassadee Blake Pope was born on August 28, 1989, and grew up in Florida, where she attended Wellington High School in Wellington. As a teenager, she developed an early love for music that crossed genre lines, later citing influences such as Avril Lavigne, Michelle Branch, Shania Twain, Blink-182, Natalie Imbruglia, Martina McBride, and early Taylor Swift records. That wide-ranging taste would later shape her ability to move between pop-punk, country, and pop rock.

While still in high school, Pope began performing with friend and fellow musician Mike Gentile in a band called Blake. The group disbanded before securing a record deal, but the experience sharpened her skills as a vocalist and songwriter. Her growing confidence on stage and in the studio set the stage for the formation of a more serious project just a few years later.

Path to Music

In 2008, Pope and Gentile founded the pop-punk band Hey Monday alongside Alex Lipshaw, Michael Moriarty, and Elliot James. The group quickly built momentum, releasing their debut studio album Hold on Tight in October 2008 and touring extensively on the 2010 Warped Tour. Pope wrote or co-wrote every song on the album, establishing herself as the band’s creative center.

Hey Monday released additional EPs, including Beneath It All in August 2010 and a Christmas EP in December 2011, before entering an indefinite hiatus later that month. Pope also branched out during this period, appearing in Fall Out Boy’s video for “America’s Suitehearts” and contributing guest vocals to a Cab remix featured on Fall Out Boy’s mixtape Welcome to the New Administration. These collaborations helped position her within the broader pop-punk scene before she stepped out on her own.

Cassadee Pope Career

Early Career (2008–2011)

During her time with Hey Monday, Pope established a clear voice as both performer and songwriter. The band’s 2008 debut Hold on Tight and follow-up EPs showcased her lyrical contributions, with Pope writing two songs and co-writing the remaining nine on their full-length record. The group toured nationally, played the 2010 Warped Tour, and earned a loyal following among pop-punk fans.

Alongside band duties, Pope pursued side opportunities that broadened her profile, including a Fall Out Boy music video appearance and a featured vocal on a Cab remix. When Hey Monday went on indefinite hiatus in late 2011, Pope was ready to test her name as a solo artist, and she set out on acoustic runs along both U.S. coasts in early 2012.

Breakthrough (2012–2014)

Pope’s solo career began in earnest with her self-titled EP in May 2012 and a high-profile audition for season 3 of The Voice later that summer. All four judges competed to coach her, and she chose country star Blake Shelton. Her performances of “Over You” and Keith Urban’s “Stupid Boy” both reached number one on the iTunes chart, and she won the season in December, becoming the show’s first female champion.

Building on that visibility, Pope signed with Republic Nashville in January 2013 and released the lead single “Wasting All These Tears” in May of that year. The single debuted at number 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached number 7 on Hot Country Songs. Her debut country album Frame by Frame followed in October 2013, debuting at number 1 on Top Country Albums with 43,000 copies sold in its first week and charting inside the Billboard 200 top 10.

In 2014, Pope toured with Tim McGraw and Dierks Bentley and contributed a cover of “The Animal in Me” to the Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute to Mötley Crüe project. This stretch cemented her reputation as one of the most successful artists to emerge from the early seasons of The Voice.

Notable Works and Milestones

Among Pope’s signature releases are her 2012 self-titled EP, the 2013 country album Frame by Frame, and hit singles “Wasting All These Tears” and “Think of You.” The latter, a 2015 duet with Chris Young, became her first number one on the US Country Airplay chart in May 2016 and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Country Duo/Group Performance. Her third studio album, Thrive, arrived in October 2021, followed in the 2020s by a deliberate return to pop-punk that produced singles like “People That I Love Leave” and “Three of Us.”

Cassadee Pope Award Nominations

Cassadee Pope has earned one Grammy nomination across her career. In 2016 she and Chris Young were nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for their duet “Think of You,” making Pope the first contestant from The Voice to receive a Grammy nod.

Cassadee Pope Awards Won

Pope’s most prominent competitive victory came in December 2012, when she won season 3 of The Voice, becoming the show’s first female winner. The album The Voice: The Complete Season 3 Collection reached number 1 on the Heatseekers chart, and her self-titled EP re-entered the chart at number 42 following the broadcast.

Cassadee Pope Family

Cassadee Blake Pope was raised in Florida, where she attended Wellington High School. Public details about her parents and siblings are limited, and she has kept her early family life largely private. She has spoken about the steady support she received from her family while pursuing music as a teenager, including during the formation of her first bands in Wellington.

Personal Life

Pope began dating All Time Low drummer Rian Dawson in January 2010, and the two became engaged in February 2017. By July 2017, the couple had ended their engagement. Later that year, in December 2017, Pope began a relationship with British actor and musician Sam Palladio, with whom she has been publicly paired since.