Saturday Music Stop

Kate Walsh - Dreamgirl

What do you think Chap? This is the line that got my attention,

Although the singing sensation has been invited to perform for record company bosses in America she is determined to stay in the UK.

She told The Times: "I prefer the pace of life in Brighton or in Burnham-on-Crouch."

All that and a home-town girl. This is the part that makes her exceptional.

Commenting on her chart-topping success, Oliver Schusser, director of iTunes Europe said: "This is an incredible achievement when you consider Kate Walsh is unsigned and still outsold several major international artists."

Miss Walsh has two older brothers, her father John is a policeman and mother Ruth a Secretary.

She said she had the chance to sign with a small independent record label but decided to make the album herself in Mr Bidwell's terraced house home, where he has converted a bedroom into a studio.

Her big break came as a result of iTunes promoting her music online and giving her the "single of the week's spot".

Commenting on the internet phenomenon where unknown artists can become stars overnight, she said: "It's amazing. It's great news for all the people who can have the confidence to go out there and do it themselves.

"You don't need loads of money to make an album and they don't need the backing of a record label. There's no advertising or marketing involved, you don't go on how much money has been spent."
...
The homemade album has proved a unexpected hit with iPod fans who had downloaded it from the iTunes website in their thousands - knocking Take That and Kaiser Chiefs from the top spots.
...
The classically trained pianist from Brighton said she built up a fan base by putting her music onto her MySpace page and eventually persuaded iTunes to sell it.

Miss Walsh said she her songs were inspired by Burnham-on-Crouch in Essex, a seaside town where she grew up and still has family.

She added: "I was a classical pianist until the age of 18. I never thought I could have a career as a female singersongwriter.

Go by her MySpace page linked above and give her a listen. She has four songs you can listen to for free. She had me at Tonight.

Sigh, to be a decade and a half younger...... I know she is a country girl, but if I told her all I wanted was 200 acres near Citra, FL to ride my Cracker Horse around my herd of Cracker Cattle and end the day with a pitcher of ice tea, butter beans on cornbread, corn-on-the-cob, oysters, and venison sausage - well, she'd balk....and Mrs. Salamander would take me to court.