Shawnee Lake

Shawnee Lake, vocalist and actress, began performing at the age of 5 when her first grade teacher took her to every classroom in her elementary school to perform her rendition of "I'm a Little Teapot". That was the beginning! Of course church and its gospel music became factors in her teenage "musical education". When singing with her playmates, she would often say, "Someday, maybe, we'll make a record." That dream became a reality when she was 15; Joe Negri, a recording artist and a Pittsburgh icon who was often on the television show "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood", and the strings from the Pittsburgh Symphony, provided the wings on which she would rise. At the age of 16 she made 3 recordings which were underwritten by a group of Pittsburgh businessmen who had created a recording company. Shawnee has since been able to perform in Knoxville, Tennessee, and in Las Vegas (The stage was surrendered to her when the group from Hawaii held the microphone to her mouth during their performance at the Excalibur; the group surrendered the microphone and the stage to her. The audience thought she was a "plant" and a part of the show). While vacationing in Casablanca, Morocco, she was offered a job by Joseph Pratt who owned a series of night clubs; she was offered a job in Austria while singing with a folk guitar player at Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy; and Nassau, Bahamas where she was offered a "gig" at the King of Knights club on Bay Street.

"Any kind of music that has notes in it" may interest her. Although she began as a "pop" singer, she is currently billed as a "jazz and blues" singer; but she has also been a member of a madrigal singing group - songs done in England a capella in the 1700's. The play "Wade in the Water", in which she played the North Star, required that shesing on a platform (with no railing) 10 feet above the audience during the entire play and sing Negro Spirituals a capella…somewhat different from the contemporary gospel music she has recently sung.

Do not try to define her style. A bassist, whose picture graces some billboards in Paris, France - Dewayne Dolphin - told her that she sounds like "no one else". Perhaps her love for many genre of music has allowed all of them to call one upon the other and melt into something unique. Whatever the case, she will work hard as a "musical therapist" to send you home smiling. She has one CD called "Diamonds 'n Sausage" and began working on another 2 months ago.

"I will work hard to entertain you and sing you all the way to HAPPY."