Music Style Acoustic, alternative, country, christian, spiritual, pop

Musical Influences Jewel, Tori Amos, Olivia Newton-John, Karen Carpenter

Artist History Amy Susan Heard grew up in the small rural town of Macomb, Illinois, hometown of Western Illinois University. Amy began studying voice there at the age of thirteen, and at the age of 15, she gained early entrance to W.I.U. She soon became a member of the University Dance Theatre, and was the youngest paid performer in the Summer Music Theatre productions. Amy entered and won various local talent contests and the Thespian Society awarded her Best Female Vocal Performance and Best Female Actress for her role as "Adelaide" in "Guys and Dolls". The papers called her a triple threat talent. Amy's family then moved to the Detroit area of Michigan, where she later joined them after her freshman year at W.I.U. Miss Heard auditioned for the music department of Oakland University in Auburn Hills, Michigan. She was given a full-tuition scholarship to perform with the Meadow Brook Estate, a highly regarded, professional show choir that traveled the country. Amy kept very active in the arts program at O.U., singing in the Vocal Jazz Ensemble, Oakland Chorale, and singing lead in a women's barbershop quartet. She also played many leading roles in musicals and plays, including "Polly Browne" in "The Boyfriend", which was chosen to perform at the American College Theatre Festival. Amy graduated O.U. with honors and a Bachelor of Music Degree (Independent Major in Musical Theatre) and a minor in Dance. Starting with the summer of her junior year in college and continuing after college, Amy went on to perform in musical review shows at theme parks and on cruise ships. A couple of these included the Rye, Playland amusement park in Rye, N.Y., and the M.S. Scotia Prince, which traveled from Portland, Maine to Nova Scotia, Canada (for a Nashville-based production company called Raymond Productions). Miss Heard then began her career as a professional singer/recording artist. She teamed up with an old-school Detroit musician, Harry Phillips, to write some great R&B, Gospel, and some 50's remakes, and the two performed with a full band for the 14th and 15th annual Detroit Festival of the Arts. Amy has also performed for many other fairs, festivals, coffee shops, and churches, and is often asked to sing the American and Canadian anthems for games and special events at various venues, including the Palace of Auburn Hills. Amy Heard arranged, produced and recorded her first CD, "Sister to Sister", at Talent Live Studios in Canton, Michigan. An awe-inspiring rendition of a beautiful angel's music, it is a tribute to her younger sister, Danielle Heard (author of the music on the CD). Tragically killed in an automobile accident at the age of eighteen, Danielle's spirit will now live on through her sister. Heard is currently working on her own materials. She will be recording her second CD, which will include her music along with more of Danielle's music.

Group Members Amy Heard, Michael Gurry

Instruments Acoustic guitar, percussion, keys

Albums Sister to Sister

Press Reviews Press Reviews, Interviews, etc. available at Amy's official website, PinkTennisShoes.com!

Location Detroit, Mi - USA

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