AOLiveMC21: Welcome, Michelle Branch!



MichelleBLive: Thank you!  Excited to be here!



AOLiveMC21: Here is our first audience question, from AngelPrincess413:

Question: Hi Michelle, you ROCK!  I was wondering what it was that madeyou realize you wanted music to play such a huge role in your life.  I was also wondering who your role model is.  You're myrole model!  I LOVE YOU!  ROCK ON!

Tina 



MichelleBLive: I would say, that music, I really didn't have'

an option.  It became my life.

I love it so much.I am very flattered that you find me as

a role model! Some of the people I look up to are Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Lisa Loeb and Cat Stevens.



AOLiveMC21: MooNerBeLL sent this question for Michelle Branch:

Question: Michelle, you are my hero!  I was wondering, what has been your favorite tour moment so far?



MichelleBLive: I would probably would say my favorite tour moment so far is when I played in Phoenix, Arizona.Because it is my home state and there were

a lot of family members and friends in the audience that  I got to be back home.



AOLiveMC21: Babyblue0063 sent us this question for Michelle Branch:

Question: Michelle, you are so talented. My question is if you could go on tour with anyone who would it be?



MichelleBLive: That is a good question!Thank you.

If I could go on tour with anybody, I would probably pick Aerosmith.Aerosmith or the Beatles!



AOLiveMC21: Avinay62 is another big fan:

Question: DID U Like Performing in Nashville TN at the Wham Bam River Jam like 2 weeks ago and again with Lifehouse?  I love you Michelle! You are my idol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



MichelleBLive: Wow! I loved playing in Nasahville. I will always remember my show with Lifehouse, cause I splurged and bought a new guitar that day!



AOLiveMC21: Legallyblonde668 came in with this question for Michelle:

Question: hi michelle, I was just wondering your feelings after hearing that your single was doing, and still is doing so well on the charts



MichelleBLive: You always wish for the best to happen and once it started happening it seemed

very surreal. And I feel very fortunate to have this happen.

MichelleBLive: It always exciting to watch your song go

MichelleBLive: from an idea you have in your head to

MichelleBLive: a song on a album, to a song on

MichelleBLive: radio and TV.

MichelleBLive: I couldn't be more happy!



AOLiveMC21: HybridTheory1316 has this question for Michelle:

Question: How did you feel when you found out that Buffy the Vampire

Question: Slayer wanted you to do a song for the show?



MichelleBLive: I was really excited, cause

MichelleBLive: I am a huge fan of the show.

MichelleBLive: And always cool to see how people interpret

MichelleBLive: your music from  CD.



AOLiveMC21: SpudSkaRed15 sent in this question:

Comment: Hey Michelle, I saw you in Milwaukee, it was rad, my friend Tizzy

Comment: is possibly your biggest fan in the world. If you could meet anyone

Comment: in the world, dead, or alive, who would it be?



MichelleBLive: It would be John Lennon.

MichelleBLive: I am a Beatles nut!



AOLiveMC21: Nbalax has this question for Michelle:

Question: What CD's are in your stereo right now?



MichelleBLive: My new favorite is David Mead, 'My and Yours' album.

MichelleBLive: Travis, 'The Invisible Band'.

MichelleBLive: The Black Crow, "Shaking Money Maker".  An

MichelleBLive: oldie but goodie!



AOLiveMC21: Cutie1234565 has a question about the music business:

Question: How did you get on a record label? What did u do?



MichelleBLive: Well it was actually an accident,

MichelleBLive: I didn't do the common things most people do.

MichelleBLive: I didn't send out demos for record companies,

MichelleBLive: instead I put out an independent album that

MichelleBLive: was accidently heard by Hanson, which

MichelleBLive: led them to invite me to open up first for a couple

MichelleBLive: of their shows.

MichelleBLive: And that is where a rep from Maverick saw

MichelleBLive: me and offered me a deal.



AOLiveMC21: DevAngel119 wants to ask Michelle this:

Question: i love your song everywhere to me. did u write it?



MichelleBLive: Thank you!  I love it too!

MichelleBLive: And yes I did write it.

MichelleBLive: I actually wrote everything on my album.

MichelleBLive: Song writing is my favorite thing to do.



AOLiveMC21: CDMC63 sent this question in for Michelle Branch:

Question: i love michelle!!!  how did you get the idea to call your cd "the spirit

Question: room"?



MichelleBLive: Its a funny story actually.

MichelleBLive: I was looking for the name of my album which

MichelleBLive: I had no clue what I was going to call it.

MichelleBLive: My best friend and I were discussing possible

MichelleBLive: titles and ended up talking about a picture I have

MichelleBLive: of my great-grandmother, who is actually a gypsy!

MichelleBLive: And the photo is of her in front of an

MichelleBLive: old bar called the "Spirit Room".

MichelleBLive: And at the recording studio we called it

MichelleBLive: the Spirit Room and it fit!



AOLiveMC21: Next question up, Michelle.  Here you go:

Question: hey you are the best michelle!!! when did you record broken bracelet? is

Question: it true your dad financed it?



MichelleBLive: Yes.

MichelleBLive: I recorded Broken Bracelet in April of 1999.

MichelleBLive: And it took two weeks to record and

MichelleBLive: my mom and dad both financed it.

MichelleBLive: And it is available, the only place you can

MichelleBLive: buy it is on www.michellebranch.net.



AOLiveMC21: SC1LW sent this question from our audience tonight:

Question: Hey Michelle! i was wondering what your next single will be. I love

Question: Goodbye to you and Somebody who cares



MichelleBLive: Then next single is actually going to be the

MichelleBLive: third track in the Spirit Room.

MichelleBLive: It is the track, "Are you on it".

MichelleBLive: And that is my favorite track.



AOLiveMC21: ElMundo2001 sent us up this question:

Question: Hi Michelle! Firstly, I wanted to say that I love your CD "The

Question: Spirit Room" and I think you're such a great singer and guitarist.

Question: Well, my question: are you ever going to perform on SNL? I really

Question: want to see you perform live!



MichelleBLive: I would love to play on SNL!

MichelleBLive: I am a huge fan of that TV show.

MichelleBLive: And we will have to keep our fingers crossed

MichelleBLive: that  I am invited to play it!



AOLiveMC21: CDM63 sends this question about your family, Michelle:

Question: do you have any siblings?



MichelleBLive: Yes, I have an older brother who is 22.

MichelleBLive: His name is David and he is a drummer.

MichelleBLive: And a little sister who is named Nicole who is 14.

MichelleBLive: She is also a drummer.

MichelleBLive: But don't look for a family band in the

MichelleBLive: near future!



AOLiveMC21: Country 46Girl sent this in:

Question: i would like to say hi and that my boyfriend thinks your really

Question: good at playing the guitar and hes in the hospital right now and

Question: he wishes he could be online to talk to you. thank you

Question: Leah



MichelleBLive: Leah, please pass on that I hope your

MichelleBLive: boyfriend gets well soon and I wish he

MichelleBLive: could join the chat.

MichelleBLive: And tell him I appreciate the kind words.



AOLiveMC21: Ok Michelle, a tour question is up next:

Question: who travels with you?



MichelleBLive: I have my band that travels with me.

MichelleBLive: And also my best friend Jen who goes on

MichelleBLive: the road with me.

MichelleBLive: As well as my tour manager and crew.

MichelleBLive: But other then that, I am on my own.



AOLiveMC21: Cutie with all the numbers sent us another question:   <grin>

Question: HI Michelle!! I just wanted to ask if you have gotten singing

Question: lessons and vocal lessons an ddoes it help alot?....Luv Cutie



MichelleBLive: Actually I begged my parents to put me in voice lessons

MichelleBLive: when I was 8 years old.

MichelleBLive: And I highly recommend it to anyone who is serious

MichelleBLive: about singing.



Question: What are your plans for the future??

AOLiveMC21: That was from Fair19 by the way...



MichelleBLive: Well I hope to continue touring through next year and

MichelleBLive: I am going overseas soon.

MichelleBLive: To play some shows over there as well.

MichelleBLive: And I am already writing songs for the new record.



Question: Hey Michelle I just bought your first cd Broken Bracelet and I

Question: just wanted to say that I love the song "Second Chances" what was

Question: your inspiration for that song?



MichelleBLive: Thank you!



AOLiveMC21: Jenny Penny 04 sent us that one.  Thanks, Jenny!



MichelleBLive: Second Chances is a song I wrote about my brother's

MichelleBLive: friend who got into a drunk driving accident.

MichelleBLive: And it really made me realize

MichelleBLive: how lucky we are living day-to-day and

MichelleBLive: how fortunate people are when they

MichelleBLive: get a second chance.



AOLiveMC21: Here is a related question about the muse:

Question: When you write songs, does inspiration just strike immediately and you

Question: write the song, or does it take a while to write?

AOLiveMC21: E3Alanna sent that one.



MichelleBLive: That is the most exciting thing about song writing,'

MichelleBLive: cause it is different everytime.

MichelleBLive: Sometimes it happens so fast I can barely

MichelleBLive: find a pen and paper fast enough.

MichelleBLive: And at other times I have to work at it.



AOLiveMC21: Here is our last question of the evening, Michelle:

Question: How long did it take to make your album The Spirit Room



MichelleBLive: It actually happened really quickly.

AOLiveMC21: that came in from Lynni43.

MichelleBLive: I recorded the album in 35 days.

AOLiveMC21: Wow, fast!

MichelleBLive: I think it was because everyone I was working with,

MichelleBLive: was excited to be working on the project.

MichelleBLive: And I was excited because it was my

MichelleBLive: first major league album.

MichelleBLive: My producer and I would hit the record

MichelleBLive: button as soon as inspiration struck,

MichelleBLive: instead of waiting around to see what

MichelleBLive: would become of our idea.



MichelleBLive: Thank you for having me.

MichelleBLive: It has been fun.



AOLiveMC21: Michelle, thanks so much for being here with us tonight!  What is your website again?



MichelleBLive: Check out my website at www.michellebranch.net.



AOLiveMC21: Good luck with The Spirit Room.  We love you!

AOLiveMC21: Good night, everyone!



MichelleBLive: Thank you and I hope we can do this again, sometime soon.  Until then,

MichelleBLive: let the force be with you.



AOLiveMC21: Thanks Michelle, Bye!