Country music singer and song writer Kimberly Schlapman, a graduate of Habersham Central High School’s Class of 1987, will received the 2026 HCHS Lifetime Achievement Award. Kimberly is a member of the award-winning band, Little Big Town, and is known for her beautiful high-soprano voice and Southern charm. During her time in high school, she served as senior class vice president and participated in numerous organizations, including the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Community Bank and Trust Student Advisory Board, Beta Club, the school chorus, and the concert choir. She was selected to the Georgia All-State Chorus for five consecutive years and attended the Governor’s Honors Program for vocal music.
Kimberly received a vocal music scholarship to Samford University, where she was a member of Phi Mu’s Alpha Gamma Chapter. While at Samford, she met and married Steven Roads, and the couple later moved to Knoxville, where she earned a degree in child and family studies from the University of Tennessee. In 1995, she relocated to Nashville, and in 1998 joined Karen Fairchild, Jimi Westbrook, and Phillip Sweet to form the country group Little Big Town. After the passing of her first husband in 2005, Kimberly married Stephen Schlapman in 2006. The couple has two daughters, Daisy and Dolly.
Known for their rich four-part harmonies, Little Big Town rose to prominence with their breakout single “Boondocks,” inspired in part by Kimberly’s roots near Camp Creek. The group has since achieved significant success, including four No. 1 albums on the Top Country Albums chart and multiple hit singles, such as “Pontoon” and “Better Man,” both of which reached No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart. They have hosted the CMA Music Awards, have made several television appearances to include The Voice, The Tonight Show, and The NBC Today Show, and have performed alongside numerous artists including Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, George Strait, and Luke Bryan.
Little Big Town has earned numerous accolades, including multiple Academy of Country Music Awards, an American Music Award, a Daytime Emmy Award, and four Grammy Awards. They have won the CMA Award for Vocal Group of the Year six times and have been a frequent performer and nominee at the CMT Music Awards. The group was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2014.
Kimberly is also a passionate cook and author. She has used her love of cooking to host a Great American Country Network cooking show and to author a cookbook. She also collaborated on two lines of vintage-inspired kitchenware and home goods – “Love & Daisies with HSN and “Oh Gussie!” with Cracker Barrel. Kimberly wrote a children’s book, A Dolly for Christmas, which is based on her family’s journey through adoption. She recently partnered with pharmaceutical company AbbVie’s advocacy campaign, Changing the Tune of Parkinson’s Disease, which aims to empower those suffering with Parkinson’s disease and their loved ones to be vocal about the impact the disease has had on their lives.
Kimberly is the daughter of Tolbert and Barbara Bramlett of Demorest. The Raider Nation is very excited to have the opportunity to award Kimberly Schlapman the 2026 HCHS Lifetime Achievement Award and to welcome her home to the John Larry Black Football Stadium for this year’s graduation ceremony.
