Amy Coleman was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and began her life long love affair with music when she listened to her first Beatles album. Soon after the Beatles, she found out about Aretha, Otis Redding, Sly and the Family Stone, Billie Holiday, Bertolt Brecht and Edith Piaf These artists continue to be prime influences and inspirations and help explain how and from where Amy developed her eclectic style of singing.
Over the past twenty years Amy has delved into a vast array of musical and theatrical arenas. Upon graduating from S.U.N.Y at Purchase, where she received a BA in Literature, Amy began singing at open mikes at various clubs in NYC. This led to her meeting, and eventual collaboration with, the late Brian Laser, one of the premiere Cabaret musical arrangers of the 1980's. Because of their shared admiration for The Beatles, they created Face to the Wall, a cabaret piece set to the words and music of Lennon and McCartney. Face to the Wall played to sold out audiences at Don't tell Mama in NYC and won Amy two Best Vocalist of the Year awards in Backstage Magazine. At about the same time, Amy began performing regularly in regional theater, landing the roles of Mary in Jesus Christ Super Star, the Voice of the Plant in Little Shop of Horrors and eventually Janis Joplin, in the original production of Beehive at the Village Gate. She also often worked in the NYC downtown scene, at internationally renowned theaters La Mama etc., and Theater for the New City. Amy then spent two years touring with the satirical political troupe the Hot Peaches, which brought her into contact with Italian composer Enzo Fillipelli. With Mr. Fillipelli Amy toured throughout southern Italy performing Enzo's compositions, (a mix of blues, jazz, European pop and art song) in opera houses, stadiums, open air concerts and on radio and T.V. Amy also recorded a CD of Enzo's compositions entitled, Only Sleep Brings Dreams.
On her return to New York City, Amy began frequenting the late great Dan Lynch Blues Bar, a Mecca for local and national blues acts. There she met Karola Herry, the manager of Dan Lynch, who helped put together the all Women's blues band, Sweet Potata, with Amy as the lead vocalist. The band recorded Soul Kiss, a CD of mostly original songs written by Amy and her band mates. Sweet Potata toured throughout the East Coast opening for Richie Havens and Buster Poindexter and appeared on the CNBC TV variety show, America 's Talking, five times. They made two trips to Austria where they played to enthusiastic crowds. After the band broke up (don't ask), Amy returned to the Theater. She spent the next three years playing the character of Vickie in the Off Broadway hit, The Last Session, which began it's run in NYC and ended at the prestigious Tiffany Theater in LA, racking up numerous awards.
Amy's first solo CD, Flame was released on the Regular Records label. Three of the cuts on the CD are her compositions and she and her husband David Mandelbaum are the producers. Flame On, brings together the many facets of Amy Coleman and her music. Presently, Amy is working on her new CD which will be out by March, 2007. Check out Amy's version of John Lennon's song "Mother" at MySpace.com.
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