Singers In the Spotlight

5 Famous Children Singers

by Jonathan Roberts

Throughout the history of modern music, the world has seen a plethora of child stars—but some really stand out for their brilliance in either vocal talent, or stage talent. Here are 5 you should know about:

I’m Summer Brighton and I Love to Sing!

Summer Brighton

Hey all! I want to introduce you to a great friend and someone I have admired for a very long time: Summer Brighton of San Diego. We recently caught up as I’ve been reaching out to people looking for a potential business partner (you know, someone who can do the brunt work as I become a correspondent for Ellen *wink*). She agreed to be a regular blog poster on topics covering the current state of the music industry, music business, singing, music law, fun facts about singing, etc. Anything I throw her way! I know you’ll love the things she has to share. So, here without saying more, I’ll let Summer tell you about herself.

Singer In the Spotlight: Mindy Gledhill

If you like kaleidoscopes and dance music, then you’ll probably like the new Kaskade music video for “Eyes” featuring Mindy Gledhill—one of the most lovely women I have met in the music industry. Dance music is not usually her thing… actually, I’m not sure if I can pin Mindy to a certain genre. Her vocal quality is like a scoop of ice cream floating in strawberry soda—refreshing and delightful like an idyllic childhood summer—and her personal approach to people makes her beloved by all whom she meets.

Country Boy for the Whole Country

Next week, on the heels of his fourth consecutive No. 1 country single, “Honey Bee,” BLAKE SHELTON will release “Red River Blue” (Warner Brothers Nashville), his sixth full-length album, which will probably be his biggest commercial success. “Blake was doing just fine without ‘The Voice,’” said Mark Burnett, the show’s executive producer. “He’s on a hit TV show now. Millions of new Americans are falling in love with him.”

“The Voice” is novel in that it placed country, so often an isolationist genre, on equal footing with other pop forms. Mr. Shelton may have had the lowest overall profile of any of the judges before the show. “Once I found out who the other three were, I felt stupid that I’d been dragging my feet,” he said, referring to Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green and Adam Levine. But Mr. Shelton is also the most currently popular artist on the panel, based on recent chart successes.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: Local Musicians Tell Their Stories

In an old American joke, a New Yorker (or presumably, a famous performer) is approached on the street near Carnegie Hall with the question, “Excuse me, sir, how do I get to Carnegie Hall?” He replies, “Practice, practice, practice.” Today’s competition among professional musicians trying to make a living playing their instruments is no laughing matter, however. Not only is it absolutely essential to stay on top of their game by practicing, it seems that in order to truly succeed, the new rules of the game require three additional P’s: promote, promote, promote. I recently enjoyed a stay in Puerto Vallarta where I came across singers thinking outside the box. Here are three Puerto Vallarta musicians who are taking matters into their own hands when it comes to self-promotion, achieving notoriety and a steady following among visitors and locals making a living in Banderas Bay.