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Biography
For|the cyclist|Katie CurtisInfobox musical artist| name = Catie Curtis| image =| caption = Catie Curtis, 2011| image_size = 800| landscape = yes| background = solo_singer| alias =| origin = United States | genre = Folk rock | years_active = mid-1990s–present| label = EMI , Rykodisc , Vanguard Records , Compass ,| associated_acts =| website =| current_members =| past_members =| notable_instruments = voice , guitar , drums , piano Catie Curtis (born 22 May 1965) is an United States|American singer-songwriter . Her music has been categorized in several genres, including Pop music|pop , Rock music|rock , alternative country , Indie music|indie and Folk music|folk . She has recorded 11 CDs. The most recent, Stretch Limousine On Fire, will be released in August 2011update after|2011|08|31 on Compass Records.
Biography
Early life
Catie Curtis was raised in the small city of Saco, Maine . At age 15, she played drums professionally for a local theater company. In her late teens she was chosen to perform with Journey (band)|Journey on their hit song "I Want to Know What Love Is." She graduated from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island with a degree in history and moved to Boston, Massachusetts for the thriving folk rock circuit.
Career
Curtis was discovered performing at the Bottom Line in NYC and promptly signed to EMI /Guardian Records. Her debut, Truth From Lies, was released in 1996. She has gone on to release 11 CDs and tour internationally, headlining clubs and theaters and appearing on stage with Mary Chapin Carpenter , Dar Williams , Patty Griffin and Melissa Ferrick among others.
Her songs have been featured in Alias , ''Dawson's Creek , Felicity and Chicago Hope , as well as in several independent films. She won the Best Album Award from the Gay and Lesbian American Music Awards for her self-titled 1997 album. In 2005, she and Mark Erelli won the Grand Prize in the International Songwriting Competition for their song People Look Around, a song written in response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster.cite web |title=2005 Winners |work=International Songwriting Competition |url= http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/winners2005.htm
Curtis, who's been dubbed a "folk-rock goddess" by The New Yorker, continues to push at her own musical boundaries and explore "the difficult edges of passing events" in life, harsh realities that are tempered with moments of fleeting beauty. Her sound, like the subject matter, tends toward authentic, raw, warm. "There's a lot of texture to my music that makes you feel like you're really close to it," she explains.
In 2009, Curtis performed at the HRC Equality Ball in celebration of President Barack Obama ’s inauguration, along with Cyndi Lauper , Melissa Etheridge , Rufus Wainwright and Thelma Houston . In 2010, she performed at the White House.
Philanthropy
At the age of 15, Catie was given the gift of a used guitar on the premise that she promise to learn to play it. Through this act of generosity and the lesson Catie learned about “paying it forward,” she since has launched the “Aspire to Inspire” guitar initiative to provide continuous, ongoing funding for the ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) Foundation so that guitars can be given to budding young musicians who cannot afford to buy their own.
Through this initiative, Catie has raised tens of thousands of dollars directly through her fan base, bestowing guitars to many aspiring musicians, as an unexpected gift, to convey the confidence that comes from someone believing in them. By equipping these underprivileged youth with the right tools, it is Catie’s goal that they will learn to make music and find the way to a better life.
Personal life
Catie Curtis is married to Liz Marshall. They live in Newton, Massachusetts, with their two daughters Lucy and Celia, and a 10 year old pug named Sam. Inspired by a commitment to marriage equality Curtis became ordained to officiate weddings in 2010.
Reviews
“Singer-songwriter Catie Curtis is one of those rare talents: someone who can spin compelling, interesting and engaging music out of domestic happiness.... Highly recommended.” — All Music Guide
“Seventeen caught up with singer/songwriter Catie Curtis, whose songs have been featured on TV shows including Desperate Housewives and Alias, as she gets ready to release her ninth album, Sweet Life. She's also in the midst of the launch of her new charity initiative, "Aspire to Inspire"!” — Seventeen Magazine
“There's a sophisticated simplicity about Curtis's singing and songwriting that brings to mind Suzanne Vega.” — Rhythms Magazine (Australia)
“Curtis's songs are beautifully and deceptively well crafted, her production tastefully understated, and her singing so heartbreakingly pure, pained, and devoid of artifice as to suggest she knows not only your secrets, but your soul.” — Alanna Nash, Amazon.com
“Any fool can write a love-gone wrong song; it takes a real genius to write a love-gone-right one. No urban songwriter does that better than Curtis." - BOSTON GLOBE” — Scott Alarik, Boston Globe
“With a clear, deceptively gentle voice, she can turn on a dime and thrill the listener with unforeseen power and emotion.” — RollingStone.com
1997 Album of the Year, Gay and Lesbian American Music Awards for Catie Curtis CD
2002 Boston Music Award , Song of the Year on Indie Label for Kiss that Counted
2008 Sweet Life named one of Top Ten CDs of the year by WUMB Radio
2006 Grand Prize, International Songwriting Competition for People Look Around
References
External links
http://www.catiecurtis.com/ Official Website
http://www.myspace.com/catiecurtis Catie Curtis on myspace
Persondata | NAME =Curtis, Catie | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH = 22 May 1965 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Curtis, Catie Category:1965 births Category:Living people Category:American female singers Category:American folk singers Category:Musicians from Maine Category:American singer-songwriters Category:Brown University alumni Category:Fast Folk artists Category:American female guitarists Category:Lesbian musicians Category:LGBT musicians from the United States Category:Rykodisc artists Category:Capitol Records artists Category:Vanguard Records artists Category:People from Saco, Maine
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