The Celine Dion Treatment

By John Griffin, The Montreal Gazette, November 23rd 1995

She's young, beautiful and she can sing the birds out of the trees. At 23, she has a major-league album release

back-ed by a company that sees her as an international priority matched only by fellow Sony stablemate Celine

Dion. If talent of the Melissa Etheridge-meets-Sheryl Crow variety can't catapult Marshall on to the charts, Sony's millions will.

It's a nice gig all round. Especially because now Marshall is getting paid to talk for a living.

"Dad said that I'd finally found my place,'' she said this week. "I get to talk all day.''

Marshall was doing plenty of that during a whirlwind promotional tour through town that took in the usual media

interviews and a warmly received showcase set of material from her self-titled debut LP at the Savoy Monday

The next day, sipping water and chatting up a storm in her downtown hotel suite, Marshall seemed to be taking the changing fortunes of her life in stride. Family will bring that out in a girl.

"Maybe it's because I'm an only child, but I've always been encouraged to do what I want.'' Exposed to all the

facets of art from an early age by her Canadian father and Trinidadian mother, Marshall grew up saturated in the music of Aretha Franklin, Buddy Holly, Ray Charles and the steel-band sounds of the Mighty Sparrow.

Years in the choir and high-school musical theatre led naturally to a decision to sing for a living. "I always had a

real affinity for music. There was never any real question about choosing a career.''

Any lingering doubts were banished six years go when her parents sent her off to a concert by rising roadhouse star Jeff Healey in Toronto. In the way that destiny wills, she ended up jamming with Healey, they became pals, and headed out on the road to their futures.

"Jeff was just breaking internationally at that time, so it was a chance for me to get in front of a large audience. I

The national tour and Healey's profile also brought Marshall to the attention of an industry primed for fresh,

Last winter, four years after choir practice ended for the last time, Marshall found herself in L.A., recording with

Kenny Aronoff, Lee Sklar, Tommy Byrnes, T-Bone Wolk and the cream of the West Coast studio mob.

Heady company, and enough to turn the head of many a fresh-faced singer. But Marshall is self-confident and

tour-toughened; she knows most musicians are about the nicest people anywhere, regardless of professional status.

"They didn't have to be, but the guys on the sessions were genuinely interested and co-operative. There was really a feeling that we were all in this together.''

Perhaps she and the musicians shared the knowledge that they had found their niche in life.

"How many of us really get to do what we want with our lives? That's why I hate to hear people complain. If you're not happy with what you're doing, stop doing it!''

There's little chance of that for Amanda Marshall. She will be setting out for her first proper tour in January. It will


	Record label giving 23-year-old the Celine Dion treatment By John Griffin, The Montreal Gazette, November 23rd 1995 Amanda Marshall has a pretty good setup. She's young, beautiful and she can sing the birds out of the trees. At 23, she has a major-league album release back-ed by a company that sees her as an international priority matched only by fellow Sony stablemate Celine Dion. If talent of the Melissa Etheridge-meets-Sheryl Crow variety can't catapult Marshall on to the charts, Sony's millions will. It's a nice gig all round. Especially because now Marshall is getting paid to talk for a living. "Dad said that I'd finally found my place,'' she said this week. "I get to talk all day.'' Marshall was doing plenty of that during a whirlwind promotional tour through town that took in the usual media interviews and a warmly received showcase set of material from her self-titled debut LP at the Savoy Monday night. The next day, sipping water and chatting up a storm in her downtown hotel suite, Marshall seemed to be taking the changing fortunes of her life in stride. Family will bring that out in a girl. "Maybe it's because I'm an only child, but I've always been encouraged to do what I want.'' Exposed to all the facets of art from an early age by her Canadian father and Trinidadian mother, Marshall grew up saturated in the music of Aretha Franklin, Buddy Holly, Ray Charles and the steel-band sounds of the Mighty Sparrow. Years in the choir and high-school musical theatre led naturally to a decision to sing for a living. "I always had a real affinity for music. There was never any real question about choosing a career.'' Any lingering doubts were banished six years go when her parents sent her off to a concert by rising roadhouse star Jeff Healey in Toronto. In the way that destiny wills, she ended up jamming with Healey, they became pals, and headed out on the road to their futures. "Jeff was just breaking internationally at that time, so it was a chance for me to get in front of a large audience. I got experience you couldn't pay for.'' The national tour and Healey's profile also brought Marshall to the attention of an industry primed for fresh, young, beautiful talent. Last winter, four years after choir practice ended for the last time, Marshall found herself in L.A., recording with Kenny Aronoff, Lee Sklar, Tommy Byrnes, T-Bone Wolk and the cream of the West Coast studio mob. Heady company, and enough to turn the head of many a fresh-faced singer. But Marshall is self-confident and tour-toughened; she knows most musicians are about the nicest people anywhere, regardless of professional status. "They didn't have to be, but the guys on the sessions were genuinely interested and co-operative. There was really a feeling that we were all in this together.'' Perhaps she and the musicians shared the knowledge that they had found their niche in life. "How many of us really get to do what we want with our lives? That's why I hate to hear people complain. If you're not happy with what you're doing, stop doing it!'' There's little chance of that for Amanda Marshall. She will be setting out for her first proper tour in January. It will not be limited to small-town Canada.