All I Intended to Be, released June 10, 2008, is Emmylou Harris’s third release on Nonesuch and her first solo effort since 2003’s Stumble into Grace. Of the selected material, Harris explains, “I’ve always seen myself as a relentless song-finder, a singer of other people’s work whom I admire greatly, and an occasional songwriter.”

Recorded over a four-year span primarily at producer Brian Ahern’s Easter Island Surround in Nashville, for the first time in 25 years, this album returns Harris to the producer she worked with for her first 11 albums. Taking its title from a line in the featured Harris / John Starling duet “Old Five and Dimers Like Me” (Billy Joe Shaver), the record includes both original material as well as some of Harris’s favorite songs. As Fader magazine notes, “Harris’s records are distinguished by an almost curatorial respect for the artifacts.” Longtime friends Kate and Anna McGarrigle co-wrote and sing on two tracks, “How She Could Sing the Wildwood Flower” and “Sailing Round the Room,” while Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, and Buddy Miller also contribute vocals on the album.

A 12-time Grammy winner and Billboard Century Award recipient, Emmylou Harris’s contribution as a singer and songwriter spans 40 years. She has recorded more than 25 albums and has lent her talents to countless fellow artists’ recordings. In recognition of her remarkable career, Harris was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on April 27, 2008. Of Harris, Tammy Genovese, CMA Chief Executive Officer says, “[Emmylou] possesses the voice of an angel. She is one of the most revered song interpreters on the planet, and has been instrumental in preserving country music’s past while expanding country music’s horizons throughout her career.” New York’s WFUV also honored Harris this year, recognizing the singer with the Sound and Vision Award at its annual spring gala held at Sotheby’s.