Music Style Folk Rock and Acoustic Blues

Musical Influences U2, Tom Waits, Janis Joplin, David Bowie, Sheryl Crow, The Beatles

Similar Artists Sheryl Crow, Ani DiFranco, Sarah McLachlan, Tori Amos

Artist History Nowhere else will you find a singer/ songwriter with so powerful a voice and so awesome a stage presence. Only nineteen years old, Tori Sparks has become widespread in Tallahassee’s local circuit since January of 2002, more so after recording and co-producing her first EP, “Tidewaters," (November 2002). The tracks feature local musicians Steve Taff (electric guitar), Perry Nelson (drums/ percussion), and Alex Zacharias (bass/ keyboard/ cello). Having played a variety of instruments since the age of four, Tori began concentrating on playing guitar and singing at age thirteen. In the past four years, she has written over one hundred original songs, in styles ranging from folk to rock to blues. Born on the outskirts of Chicago, but raised in Sarasota, Florida, Tori moved to Tallahassee when she was seventeen. She quickly attracted a small following at local open-mic nights. Soon after, Tori joined up with three veteran players, forming the folk-rock band “Dirty Blue.” After several well-attended shows at The Office Lounge, The Warehouse, and the Black Dog Caf�, Tori chose to leave the band in order to work as a solo artist. This past summer she was invited to Philadelphia to participate in the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, where she wrote the original music underscoring Project DNA’s production of “The Ghosts are in the Water.” The show was one of only four selected to be reviewed in the Philadelphia Weekly, which said: “. . . ‘Ghosts’ was chilling . . .if the actors were the heart of the play, Sparks’ music was its soul. . .” After returning to Tallahassee in the fall, this up-and-coming young artist has performed at many surrounding venues, including Tipper’s, Big Daddy’s and Potbelly’s. Tori has appeared alongside popular local bands such as Led Astray, Girls on Film, and the Jason and Jillian Band, as well as national acts like Charmaine Neville, Pat Ramsey, and Big Sky. She has performed as a guest artist in southern legend Sir Charles Atkins’ Blues Lab, and was invited to participate in the Appalachee Blues Society’s 2002 Annual Bluesfest. In February of 2003 Tori was featured by the Florida Motion Picture and Television Association alongside internationally-know faces. As her music has become more wide-spread, Tori has branched out within the state of Florida, appearing in Tampa and Panama City. Her success can be attributed as much to her unique voice and playing style as to her high energy and wry stage banter. Tori recently appeared live on Clear Channel's X101.5FM and Triad Broadcasting's Eagle 99.9FM. In August she is scheduled to perform at the prestigious 15th Annual Crystal Reel Awards in Tampa. Listen for tracks from “Tidewaters” on X101.5 in Tallahassee and on 88.9FM at Emerson in Boston, MA! Tori can also be heard on 104.30 FM in Leopoldsburg, Belgium and 107.3 Heritage FM in Perth, Australia. Copies of her EP can be purchased at local stores Javaheads and Vinyl Fever, as well as online at CDBaby.

Instruments Guitar, Vocals

Albums Tidewaters (2003)

Location Tallahassee, FL - USA

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