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I don’t think it’s usual,
and probably not even cool to write your
own biography. But who really knows it best.
Right? Here goes…
I remember being really young and listening
to my older sister’s 45s. I memorized
a couple of my favorite tunes (You Light
Up My Life [Debbie Boone], You Take My Breath
Away [Rex Smith]) and my parents would have
me “perform” these songs to
them with a tomato-soup-can microphone on
top of the pool table. Apparently they found
this entertaining. From my family’s
recollection, I was around 2. What I distinctly
remember is the movie version of Annie,
and knowing every lyric by heart. I was
able to sing it like “Annie”,
and figured all six-year-old girls could
sing like her. I understood as much as a
child could that I was fascinated with the
human voice. When I heard anyone sing, on
record or live, I was stunned into absorption.
I became enthralled with trying to mimic
the voices I heard on my records.
Throughout my teen years with some vocal
lessons under my belt, I sang in various
competitions and musicals, and cut a few
demos in hopes of being the next Debbie
or Tiffany. Alas, being a teen idol was
not in the cards. By 19, I was active in
my drama department in college, and, as
typical drama geeks, we found ourselves
actively singing in the karaoke circuit.
One fateful night, I was doing my best interpretation
of Jewel, and was approached by a manager
of an all female music group in the Twin
Cities. After auditioning, I jumped aboard,
and so began my 10-year career in live music.
As a member of this girl group, I sang on
national TV, performed at Governor Jesse
Ventura’s Christmas ball, performed
at We Fest between Martina McBride and Kenny
Rogers, and sang at countless venues and
festivals around the Twin Cities. I definitely
got my feet wet and cultivated an addiction
for live performances.
In 2000, I received a phone call from Nick
Ciola (Gear Daddies, Martin Zellar and the
Hardways) and was asked to audition for
Martin and his band to sing backup in Zellar’s
Neil Diamond Tribute. I actually thought
this phone call was a prank by one of my
friends, and after trying to get “Nick”
to ‘fess up and tell me who he really
was, I reluctantly complied and met the
band for an audition. Turns out it was really
him…the guy in the ever-backwards
black baseball cap. 5 years later, the Neil
Show is still going strong, and I am having
more fun these days being a part of that
show than ever. And yes ladies, Martin and
the guys are amazing, chivalrous, respectful,
and enormously talented gentlemen. I adore
all of them, and truly credit them with
being a colossal contributor to this next
step of my music career.
It was around this time that I became a
“songwriter”. To be called a
songwriter is undoubtedly one of the most
magnificent things to me. I started slowly
developing some music that I wrote with
a little help from my relic 1979 keyboard.
This baby’s a real showstopper. All
of my songs are inspired by real moments
in my life, some circumstances involve just
me; others reflect relationships with friends
or family members. My lyrics are challenging
for me to reveal because they are so personal,
and some were written in very dark places
of my life that are hard to revisit. The
concept of playing any of this material
in front of people was petrifying. It still
is sometimes.
In 2002, I went to Nashville, in search
of a little songwriting help and guidance.
I found it with a few songwriters (Don Goodman,
Bill Nash, Kenny Royster, Chris Anderson,
Pat McGrath) that have graced our radio
waves with musical hits. It was a remarkable
experience writing with some of these names,
and yet at times a bit stifling. While collaborating
with some of the writers I found that we
had different ideas and methods of phrasing
thoughts and lyrics, and bringing them through
melodically. We also found ourselves wanting
to write about very different topics. But
after a little work and compromise, I came
home feeling like a more accomplished and
confident songwriter.
Upon returning from Nashville, I put together
a band. My very own band! I gathered a group
of guys that were strong musicians, and
believed in my music. We took my songs to
a level that they had never been. They had
a kicking rhythm section, keyboards that
laced them with intricacy, and a lead guitar
that tickled new melody into my basic chord
melodies. We spent a year and a half playing
around the Twin Cities at all of the venues
that I dreamed of playing my songs. It was
an unbelievable year, and I spent a lot
of it writing more and more. As a result
of the Ali Gray Band, I found it inescapable
to record my first LP of songs that started
once as a means to simply release anger,
loneliness, and love.
After one year of incredible adventure
I have my first “child”, Let
you In. I never would have imagined this
process would become so cathartic. I feel
peace and stillness at its completion, and
have to breathe in the reality of its process.
I feel whole and proud of its existence.
It is my hope chest of a recent life journey
that was hard to venture, yet created such
realization and readiness for anything that
is yet to come. Hope you enjoy.
At times I can’t believe where this
marvelous life has taken me, and I get more
and more excited to see what is still to
come. I have been truly blessed in the last
ten years of my life. So here I am, the
once little girl with an unbreakable passion,
turned songwriter. And it feels fantastic.
~Ali Gray |
