| Stretched on your Grave presents.... |
| music |
| Tori Amos |
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| Myra Ellen Amos, better known as Tori Amos was born in 1963, in North Carolina, USA, Her father was a Methodist Minister, her mother a homemaker. A child prodigy, Tori was playing the piano from the age of two and a half. At the age of five, she won herself a scholarships to the prestigious Peabody Conservatorium of Music, she was youngest ever student of the conservatorium. Tori says, "I was a freak child who had really good rhythm". Tori lost her scholarship at the age of eleven for playing more modern rock than classical. Around the age of 13 she was playing bars, her first job was piano in a gay bar in Washington DC, she was always chaperoned by her parents. At the age of 21, Tori moved to LA searching for, well most hopefuls search for in LA, success in the entertainment industry, but it did not come quickly or easily. Around 1985, Tori had formed a band by the name of 'Y Kant Tori Read', it was after a 'Y Kant Tori Read' gig one night that Tori agreed to give an audience member a lift home. She was raped at knife point. In 1987, Atlantic Records signed the band, and in 1988 the released their debut, self titled album. Unfortunately, the band, which included future 'Guns 'n' Roses' drummer, Matt Sorum, was not well recieved at all and bombed big time. Tori was devastated, unable to stir from her kitchen floor unless it included a trip to the toilet! In 1991, Atlantic Rrecords sent Tori to England to work on her new solo material, based around the piano and Tori's unique lyrical slant. Later that year an EP, 'Me and a Gun' was released. The title track dealing with Tori's rape, which she had said nothing about until then. She was inspired to write the song after going alone to see 'Thelma and Louise' in London. In 1992, her Debut solo album, 'Little Earthquakes' was released, supported by numerous world tours. It was a huge success. Tori's real commercial break came in 1994, with her follow-up album 'Under the Pink' and the hit single, 'Cornflake Girl', Tori Amos and her unique brand of soul-bearing had arrived. Around this time Tori cofounded RAINN (the rape, abuse and incest national network) with the DC Rape Crisis Centre, it has a toll free number in the US only 1800 656 HOPE. 'Under the Pink', was followed by 1996's experimental and self produced 'Boys for Pele'. It was a raw musical outing which came close after Tori's 1995 split with her long boyfriend and co-producer, Eric Rosse. At the end of the 'Dew Drop Inn' tour in 1996, Tori was happy to discover she was pregnant, unfortunately Tori sadly miscarried at three months. This tragedy was a main inspiration behind 1998's 'From the Choirgirl Hotel'. This was a different album than Tori's previous solo albums,Iit relied alot more on sythns and loops more than it did on the acfoustic piano. For the 'Plugged '98' tour, Tori toured for the first time with a band, her previous tours had just been her and the piano. In 1997 Tori married her sound engineer Mark Hawley. In 1999, Tori releasd another album, 'To Venus and Back' which was musically similar to 'From the Choirgirl Hotel', 'To Venus and Back' also included a second CD of live material recorded during the 'Plugged ' 98' tour. On September 15, 2000, Tori gave birth to her first child, A girl named Natashya Lorien Hawley. Whilst raising Natashya, Tori began to have idea's about her next album, she worried about the violent, misogynistic world that her daughter will have to grow up in. And so came forth 'Strange Little Girls', Tori's next album and most innovative and intriguing work to date. 'Strange Little Girls' included twelve well known songs written by men, performed by Tori, from the viewpoint of twe;ve different female characters. Songs included, Joe Jackson's 'Real Men', The Velvet Underground's 'New Age', 10cc's 'I'm not in love' and others including the single 'Strange Little Girl', originally by 'The Stranglers', and the disturbing and controversial cover of Eminem's '97 Bonnie & Clyde'. The album was released in 2001. Tori was nominated for two Grammy's but did not win them, not her first Grammy nominations, 'Boys for Pele' was up for best alternative album in 1997, and in 1999 a track from 'From the Choirgirl Hotel', 'Raspberry Swirl', was also nominated. Tori left Atlantic in 2001/2002, and is now with Epic Records. Tori's next album, titled 'Scarlet's Walk' is due for release in late October, 2002.. |
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