Amanda on the move

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Our guest this week is the lovely and talented Amanda Marshall, who performs tomorrow in the Jubilee Auditorium.

Last year, the 24-year-old singer was touring Norway, of all places. Why, you ask? Because her self-titled debut album had become a huge hit over there - as it has in most other countries where it's been released.

In any case, Marshall recalls browsing through the concession stand at a little airport in the town of Sandnes (population 43,000), when all of the sudden she had a strange feeling.

"I noticed that everyone was looking at me. I could feel it. I looked up and I realized I was on the cover of every publication on the newsstand. I was on the cover of all the newspapers and magazines and stuff. It was really funny. I was like a big celebrity in this tiny little town in Norway."

Since she of the big voice and dramatic hand gestures stormed on to the scene in the fall of 1995, Marshall has sold more than 600,000 copies of her album in Canada (and 300,000 in the U.S.). She'll be starring in her first network TV special, airing tonight at 7 on CFRN (Cable 2).

"The cool thing about (Rosie)," Marshall notes, "is she has people on that she genuinely likes."

NYPD Blue's Jimmy Smits is a fan. Jon Bon Jovi said nice things about her in an interview with Metal Edge magazine - not a lot of Marshall's fans read Metal Edge, perhaps, but it's the thought that counts.

Marshall just finished a U.S. tour opening for John Mellencamp, who would bring her onstage to sing Pink Houses. He, too, is a fan.

And the list of Amanda fandom goes on: Regis and Kathie Lee, David Letterman, that new guy from Melrose Place ...

"His name is David something," Marshall says. "I can't even remember his last name. He used to be on Baywatch ..."

OK - you get the point. In less than two years, Amanda Marshall has been transformed from a Toronto bar singer to a celebrity recording star, taking it all with remarkable aplomb.

"It's all pretty positive," she says. "There's moments, like 9:30 on a Saturday morning and you just want to go out and buy some milk, and you're suddenly very aware that people are aware of you.

"You do the things that you're comfortable with. I haven't had any really negative experiences. People are really cool. They want an autograph or they want to talk to you. Sometimes you feel bad because you don't always have time and you don't want people to think that you're blowing them off, because you're not. But if you're trying to get from here to there and you've got five minutes, you try and kind of let everybody feel like they've had their moment."

Marshall certainly didn't plan that her life would turn out this way. She agrees that she's "lucky" to have had such a single-minded desire to become a singer - even from childhood - but like any of her peers, it's more about hopes and dreams than actual plans.

"You never know how things are going to go," she says. "I think you hope that people are going to dig what you do and that you're going to get the chance to do it on a really comfortable level."

Even so, she's not too surprised how it's worked out for her. "It doesn't seem like a huge explosion to me. Everything has seemed fairly logical and normal."

(Following a recent appearance on The Rosie O'Donnell Show, Marshall sold 10,000 albums in

Other recordings: The Don Was-produced This Could Take All Night, on the Tin Cup soundtrack.

Celebrity endorsements: Elton John, Jimmy Smits, Jon Bon Jovi and Rosie O'Donnell, among

Other education: Says Marshall: "I remember there was like a week there when everybody was

going off to university and I thought, geez, maybe I should go to university. I went to night school at the

University of Toronto for about a year and I dropped out to go on the road. I was taking


	Sunday, May 4, 1997 Amanda on the move Canuck singer gets a taste of the big time By MIKE ROSS Edmonton Sun ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to True Tales of the Road, Celebrity Edition. Our guest this week is the lovely and talented Amanda Marshall, who performs tomorrow in the Jubilee Auditorium. Last year, the 24-year-old singer was touring Norway, of all places. Why, you ask? Because her self-titled debut album had become a huge hit over there - as it has in most other countries where it's been released. In any case, Marshall recalls browsing through the concession stand at a little airport in the town of Sandnes (population 43,000), when all of the sudden she had a strange feeling. "I noticed that everyone was looking at me. I could feel it. I looked up and I realized I was on the cover of every publication on the newsstand. I was on the cover of all the newspapers and magazines and stuff. It was really funny. I was like a big celebrity in this tiny little town in Norway." It's not just Norway, either. Since she of the big voice and dramatic hand gestures stormed on to the scene in the fall of 1995, Marshall has sold more than 600,000 copies of her album in Canada (and 300,000 in the U.S.). She'll be starring in her first network TV special, airing tonight at 7 on CFRN (Cable 2). She's also had more celebrity endorsements than Thighmaster. Elton John called Marshall his "favorite new singer" on The Rosie O'Donnell Show. Marshall herself was on the talk show the following week. "The cool thing about (Rosie)," Marshall notes, "is she has people on that she genuinely likes." NYPD Blue's Jimmy Smits is a fan. Jon Bon Jovi said nice things about her in an interview with Metal Edge magazine - not a lot of Marshall's fans read Metal Edge, perhaps, but it's the thought that counts. Marshall just finished a U.S. tour opening for John Mellencamp, who would bring her onstage to sing Pink Houses. He, too, is a fan. And the list of Amanda fandom goes on: Regis and Kathie Lee, David Letterman, that new guy from Melrose Place ... "His name is David something," Marshall says. "I can't even remember his last name. He used to be on Baywatch ..." OK - you get the point. In less than two years, Amanda Marshall has been transformed from a Toronto bar singer to a celebrity recording star, taking it all with remarkable aplomb. She's admits it's hard to be objective about it, but "it makes you stop and think. " "It's all pretty positive," she says. "There's moments, like 9:30 on a Saturday morning and you just want to go out and buy some milk, and you're suddenly very aware that people are aware of you. "You do the things that you're comfortable with. I haven't had any really negative experiences. People are really cool. They want an autograph or they want to talk to you. Sometimes you feel bad because you don't always have time and you don't want people to think that you're blowing them off, because you're not. But if you're trying to get from here to there and you've got five minutes, you try and kind of let everybody feel like they've had their moment." Marshall certainly didn't plan that her life would turn out this way. She agrees that she's "lucky" to have had such a single-minded desire to become a singer - even from childhood - but like any of her peers, it's more about hopes and dreams than actual plans. "You never know how things are going to go," she says. "I think you hope that people are going to dig what you do and that you're going to get the chance to do it on a really comfortable level." Even so, she's not too surprised how it's worked out for her. "It doesn't seem like a huge explosion to me. Everything has seemed fairly logical and normal." Normal, that is, if you happen to be Amanda Marshall. Age: 24 Home: Toronto Musical training: Toronto Royal Conservatory of Music. Album: Self-titled; released October 1995. First hit: Let It Rain. Album sales: six-times platinum in Canada (600,000 copies sold); 300,000 sold in the U.S. (Following a recent appearance on The Rosie O'Donnell Show, Marshall sold 10,000 albums in one day). Other recordings: The Don Was-produced This Could Take All Night, on the Tin Cup soundtrack. Notable opening gigs: Jeff Healey, Tom Cochrane, John Mellencamp. Celebrity endorsements: Elton John, Jimmy Smits, Jon Bon Jovi and Rosie O'Donnell, among others. Other education: Says Marshall: "I remember there was like a week there when everybody was going off to university and I thought, geez, maybe I should go to university. I went to night school at the University of Toronto for about a year and I dropped out to go on the road. I was taking English. And I hated it. I was miserable."