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Amanda has been on the musical fast track since day one, singing before she could barely string a sentence together and sleeping next to the speakers in her parent's living room when it came time to nap. "I can't remember wanting to do anything else but sing."
In addition to singing in her community church from the time she was three years old, Amanda received incredible musical encouragement from her family. Her first taste of playing in a band was alongside her older brother on drums, with their father accompanying them on a variety of instruments like banjo, accordion, piano and saxophone. Her mom always had the radio tuned to the local country station. Branching out from home and family, she sang at many Manitoba fairs and festivals, winning her first singing contest in 1993 when she was only 11. She began showcasing the following year to standing ovations, and was the youngest-ever main stage attraction at the 1994 Dauphin CountryFest. In 1996, Canada got its first glimpse of an emerging talent when Amanda sang at the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards ceremony in Ottawa. A development deal was inked with Warner Music Canada that same year following a showcase performance at the CCMAs. Several months later she appeared on Tom Jackson's nationally televised Huron Carole. Upon hearing her for the first time, most can't believe her tender age; she has the polish many vocalists with years of stage and studio experience yearn for. This explains how she has earned the opportunity to share stages with some of the biggest names in the business, such as Chantal Kreviazuk, Burton Cummings, Kenny Rogers, Prairie Oyster, Lisa Brokop, Patricia Conroy, Big Sugar, Randy Bachman, George Fox, Natalie MacMaster, Paul Brandt and Jason McCoy. Country fans got their first glimpse of Amanda with her single Black Is Black - a bold, purposeful affirmation of what matters to her most. "As the song says, this is my life, these are my values and I'm not going to compromise." Other standouts from her album included Somebody To Love and the tender, moving ballad You're Not Alone. "You're Not Alone is really encouraging to me in my own life," tells Amanda. "Everyone goes through difficult times in their lives, including teenagers. And during those times, you often feel as though you're the only person experiencing those feelings - that no one understands and you are completely alone. I truly believe that no matter what we are going through we are not alone; this song is important because it reminds us of that." |
