LeAnn Rimes back on stage after vocal cord injury, dental procedure

RENO, Nev. (AP) _ LeAnn Rimes is on the road with her summer tour, after recovering from an injury to one of her vocal cords and an unspecified dental procedure. <br/><br/>``I look at it in a positive

Monday, June 20th 2005, 11:58 am

By: News On 6

RENO, Nev. (AP) _ LeAnn Rimes is on the road with her summer tour, after recovering from an injury to one of her vocal cords and an unspecified dental procedure.

``I look at it in a positive way _ I got some good vocal rest,'' the 22-year-old singer told The Associated Press by phone from her tour bus as it headed for Saturday night's concert in Santa Fe, N.M.

In April, Rimes was ordered not to speak for two weeks after a coughing fit during a bout with bronchitis burst a blood vessel in one of her vocal cords. Last month, her periodontist told Rimes it was time to undergo some dental surgery she'd put off, which forced her to cancel an appearance at the CMA Music Festival in Nashville, Tenn.

``When your passion's almost stripped from you, at least for a couple of weeks, you realize how much you do love what you do. I guess I have a little more drive now than I ever have,'' Rimes said.

Scheduled stops on her tour include Chicago, New Orleans, Detroit, Salt Lake City and Atlanta.

Her latest album, ``This Woman,'' was released in January.