SHAWNA RUSSELL
by Tony Taylor
Goddess - déesse in french - is the title of the single and the title of the first album of a remarkable young woman: Shawna Russell.
Born in Okemah, in the state of Oklahoma, Shawna is starting to make waves in the Country music world. And, that's not surprising! With a voice capable of arousing the jealousy in every envious female singer, and with the looks to send the guys wild, she has all the assets to be a star!
It's also true that Shawna is lucky enough to have music in her blood. Her father and her uncles, from both sides of her family, played in successful groups for 30 years. One can even say that since her childhood, Shawna's life has been filled by music. "When I was very young," she says. "I listened to artists like Patty Loveless, Restless Heart, Michael Johnson, and Trisha Yearwood. As a teenager, I was very influenced by Led Zeppelin, Bad Company, The Doobie Brothers, The Allman Brothers, The Eagles - but above all, Juice Newton and Stevie Nicks!"
Ah yes! The influence of the Fleetwood Mac sound is very evident in Shawna's music, and - there are a lot of people who make the comparison between her and Stevie Nicks. Not bad at all, when it's known that Stevie is considered to be one of the best singers of all time!
A child prodigy, Shawna sang for the first time in public at the age of 7, and at the age of 13, she sang each weekend with her father Keith's band, then, several years later with her uncle Tim's band, 'Way Out West' - which had a lot of success throughout Oklahoma. "It's funny," explains Shawna. "I always had the ambition to be part of the music world. At school, when I was asked what I wanted to do when I finished my studies, I always replied ‘I want to be a singer!’ There was never an alternative in my life!"
Since then, Shawna has crossed the United States. She sings, plays guitar, and even saxophone, sometimes six nights a week in the most prestigious clubs. She also toured with Ty England for three years!
In 2007, Shawna took the decision to go her own way, and with the help of her father Keith Russell, her uncle Tim Russell, and the celebrated producer Ted Curtis, she succeeded in recording her album Goddess, which was released in March 2008. It is of note that the project attracted some of the best studio musicians and technicians in the music industry: Russ Kunkel, the drummer for Carly Simon and James Taylor; David Santos, the bass player for Elton John, Billy Joel and John Fogerty; Julian King, the vocal engineer who has worked with Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, and Toby Keith; and Nathaniel Kunkel - who has collaborated with Diana Ross, and The Police. All of these people were so captivated by Shawna's voice that they came all the way to Oklahoma to record the album with her.
One thing is sure, after her performance in front of the crowd at the CMA Fan Fair, she has multiplied the number of fans on all horizons! Also, now that the single Goddess, taken from the album, plays on the airwaves of radio stations across America - sooner or later, all the world will recognize her talent!
To close the interview, Dreamwest asked her if she would like to come to France - the response was categorical. "Ah, yes," she said. "I would love to!"
She has good taste this girl - like the choice of her five favorite albums - Wildflowers by Tom Petty - Toulouse Street by The Doobie Brothers - Bad Company by Bad Company - Houses of the Holy by Led Zeppelin - and Rumors by Fleetwood Mac. Yes, she's also got class, this 'Goddess' of Country Rock!
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Link to magazine website: http://www.dreamwest.net/
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