Julianne Hough Dances with a Record Deal

12/10/2007 2:24 PM, E! Online


Second-to-none at cutting a rug, Julianne Hough is now ready to cut a record.

The two-time Dancing with the Stars champion has inked a deal with Universal Music Group's Mercury Nashville label and is aiming to have a country single ready to roll in early 2008. 

While she's best known for helping both Olympic speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno and Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves hoist the illustrious disco ball trophy this year, equaling fellow pro Cheryl Burke in Dancing titles, Hough also released the country tune "Will You Dance with Me" via iTunes in May.

And now the 19-year-old Salt Lake City native, who as a 12-year-old was part of the pop trio 2B1G while studying dance in London, is tangoing with the idea of a full-fledged singing career.

Hough and producer David Malloy are planning to start recording her debut album next month in Nashville, per Billboard.

So it definitely sounds as if Hough has been too busy making deals and music to make trouble.

After calling off her engagement to hometown sweetheart Zach Wilson shortly before winning DWTS for the first time, she had to fight off rumors that she and Ohno were an item. And she had to do the same thing this time around when it was reported that Castroneves and his fiancée had called it quits.

"I love Helio like he is my brother. We are the best of friends," Hough told People recently.

The international Latin dance champ can also count Kevin Connolly among her list of dear friends—the 33-year-old Entourage star, who sounded fairly smitten while dishing about his feelings during Howard Stern's morning show last month, presented his pal Julianne with the white-gold and diamond ring she was wearing on the Nov. 12 DWTS performance show.