www.cmt.com biography Gretchen Wilson was born on June 26, 1973, and raised in rural Pocahontas, Ill., 36 miles due east of St. Louis, where numerous trailer parks are clustered among cornfields and pig farms. Her mother was 16 years old when she had Gretchen, and her father, unfortunately, had moved on with his life by the time she was 2. Whenever they couldn't make rent, which was every few months, they packed up what little belongings they owned and moved down the road only to thumb|300px|right|Gretchen Wilson - Redneck Womanfind yet another trailer. www.gretchenwilson.com biography