Topic: Meet the Contestants - Rock Star INXS (Read 1779 times)

Muffins · « **on:** July 08, 2005, 06:14:25 PM »

Brandon Calhoon

Day Job: Staffing Recruiter
Hometown: Hermosa Beach, CA (originally from Beaverton, MI)

Like a modern-day musical superhero, Brandon Calhoon is a respectable staffing recruiter by day who transforms himself into a bona fide California rocker by night.

Brandon and his sister were born and raised in Michigan by their father, a Vietnam vet and chemical-company laborer, and their mother, a nurse. Through college, Brandon didn't necessarily seem like he was on his way to a musical career. He played basketball, gained a B.S. in industrial technology and took a job in Detroit as a staffing recruiter.

But once he hit Detroit (a.k.a. "Rock City") full time, Brandon began to give in to the performance bug. A passionate performer with potent charisma, Brandon soon found himself working as the lead singer of an '80s rock cover band and the lead singer/guitarist of his own original band, Radio. As he dove deeper into the music world, Brandon honed his own chops while studying rock inspirations ranging from AC/DC to fellow Michigan natives Jack White and Kid Rock.

In 2004, Brandon threw caution to the wind and followed the road of many musicians before him, moving to Southern California in an attempt to live the rock-and-roll dream. His skill and charm gained him a following as an acoustic and electric performer. And now, unlike most who came West before him, Brandon's dream may become an even more incredible reality.

Dana Robbins

Day Job: Bartender/Yoga Instructor/Dancer
Hometown: Studio City, CA (originally from Las Vegas, NV)

Like her rock idol, Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, Dana Robbins manages to strike a compelling balance between groundedness and exuberance, both in performance and in life.

The daughter of a physician father and an accountant mother, Dana was born and mostly raised in Sin City -- Las Vegas. Despite her parents' professional backgrounds, Dana caught the performance bug early, becoming a showgirl by the age of 17 and performing in the Bally's hotel show "Jubilee" and the Riviera hotel show "Splash." She also founded the band Honey Pot and quickly landed gigs at Vegas hotspots like Club Utopia.

Her success in her hometown gave Dana the impetus to move to Los Angeles. There, she formed her current band Aerial, which has raised her profile even higher. As the lead singer of Aerial, she has now rocked all of L.A.'s classic clubs, including the Viper Room, the Roxy and the Gig.

However, as always, Dana's rock-and-roll lifestyle is counterbalanced by an inner calm. A certified yoga instructor, she now teaches yoga at Body, Mind, and Spirit.

Dynamic on stage, poised and balanced off stage, Dana is totally prepared for the demands of rock stardom.

Daphna Dove

Day Job: Legal Secretary
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA (originally from New York, NY)

Her father was instrumental in discovering the Scorpions. Her mother, Elisa Gabbai, is a famous singer in Germany. Now, Daphna Dove is ready to continue her parents' musical legacy and take it to the next level.

Though born in Germany, Daphna grew up in New York City. At Syracuse University, she double-majored in communications and international relations. But Daphna found her destiny in music, which is why, nine months ago, she took the advice of rock legend Gene Simmons of KISS and moved to Los Angeles to pursue it.

Since then, while supporting herself as a legal secretary, Daphna has quickly taken the L.A. music scene by storm. She has scored gigs at the El Rey, the Viper Room, the Knitting Factory, the Joint and the Cat Club with her former band, Lexington, flooring audiences with her feline grace and deep, rich vocals. She has also performed for a tsunami relief concert at Snitch and was named one of Heeb magazine's "Up and Coming Musicians."

A guitarist and pianist, as well as a compelling vocalist, Daphna turns 30 in July of this year. They say that's when life begins. It may also be when her life changes forever.

Deanna Johnston

Day Job: Musician
Hometown: Reseda, CA (originally from Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Born and raised in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, as the second of four kids, Deanna Johnston didn't truly discover her musical calling until early adulthood. As a sports-oriented graphic-design major at St. Lawrence College, she began exploring her music skills and found more than she'd ever bargained for. Her pure vocal talent led to a touring offer from the band MASK; she accepted and never looked back.

Over five years, Deanna became a successful centerpiece of the vibrant Vancouver music scene, then relocated to Los Angeles, where she performed with the band The MVP's. Since then, she has shared the stage with artists including Edgar Winter and Chaka Khan, and even had the thrill of performing for Oprah Winfrey.

Deanna now has 14 years of professional musical experience under her belt. Drawing on U2 and Led Zeppelin among others, she has fused a unique blend of blues, rock and R&B that maximizes her engaging vocal style, which combines tonal clarity with real-deal grittiness. As she has grown as a performer, Deanna has drawn ever more flattering comparisons, to such legends as Melissa Etheridge and one of her own great inspirations, Janis Joplin.

Now, the journey that began with an unexpected detour during her college years, may culminate with an opportunity for Deanna to achieve the same status as her idols. She sees no reason why 2005 can't be the year everything comes together.

Heather Luttrell

Day Job: Musician/Painter/Nanny
Hometown: Atlanta, GA

The daughter of a musician father who along with her mother raised her on a commune, Heather Luttrell has always combined a love of music with a unique view of life. And just as early as her love of music, Heather exhibited the rebellious streak common to all great rockers. At age 14, she skipped out on her Catholic school, ran away from home and lived in a Buddhist community for two months.

Eventually, Heather returned, finished high school via independent study at age 15 and, by age 17, was in Atlanta pursuing music full time.

Since then, Heather has performed with some of today's biggest acts, including Ryan Adams, Elton John and Angie Apano. Some of her vocals were purchased and used by the Grammy-winning hip-hop act OutKast.

Heather cites a diverse range of influences, from Concrete Blonde, Susan Tedeschi and the Beatles to Ani DiFranco, to whom her soulful, rootsy style is often compared. She is constantly expanding her musical horizons. At this point, she plays almost as many instruments (guitar, piano, hand drums, violin, etc.) as she has tattoos (24).

Heather already performs 20-25 gigs per month, so the grueling performance schedule of the "Rock Star:INXS" competition doesn't faze her at all. She is eager to commit every ounce of her energy since, despite all of her experience, she knows that this is her best chance yet to achieve her dreams.

J.D. Fortune

Day Job: Musician
Hometown: Oakville, Ontario, Canada (originally from Saltspring, Nova Scotia, Canada)

Despite being only 31 years old, J.D. Fortune has already experienced enough for a lifetime's worth of song lyrics. From fronting a rock band to joining the Army, performing before stadium crowds to living in his car, even making a living as an Elvis impersonator, J.D. has lived a real-life roller-coaster ride that may be about to reach its highest peak yet.

Raised in the Canadian countryside just outside of Nova Scotia, J.D. grew up listening to his grandfather sing and started performing at a very young age. He even dropped out of high school after being offered a job on a TV show.

After several years in and out of the music world, J.D. finally began to strike gold as an original musician. A captivating dynamo who performs on the edge, J.D. has drawn bigger and bigger audiences, ultimately performing at the Friendship Festival and at Toronto's Skydome in front of tens of thousands of people. He also works as an entertainer and pop songwriter for an Ontario TV show.

Now, J.D. is primed to bring his life experience and musical talent to the world. A strict vegetarian and martial arts instructor, J.D. believes he has the discipline and the chops to become the new lead singer for INXS, a band of which he has always been a die-hard fan.

Jessica Robinson

Day Job: Coffee Shop Barista
Hometown: Chicago, IL

Growing up in and around Chicago, Jessica Robinson had to share the stage at home with four brothers and one sister. Maybe that's one reason why she seems to instinctively know how to cut through the clutter, grab an audience's attention and not let go.

A young, energetic spitfire with riveting vocal skills, Jessica is now the lead singer of a popular Chicagoland cover act. She has performed at the Green Bay Packers pre-game show two years in a row, as well as at NASCAR 2004. She and her band were also voted "Best Dance Band in Chicago" by Suburban Nightlife magazine and won the "Battle of the Bands" at Arlington Racetrack in 2004.

Unsurprisingly for a pure vocalist of her caliber, Jessica tends to gravitate toward other powerhouse singers, like Scott Weiland of Velvet Revolver and Gwen Stefani of No Doubt.

Though she works in a coffee house on the side and may not have the experience of some of her fellow competitors, Jessica's sheer talent and irrepressible personality make her anything but a longshot. She believes she is prepared to assume the role of INXS' lead singer and all that comes with it. After all, her life centers around performing music and fulfilling her dream of becoming a rock star.

Jordis Unga

Day Job: Bartender/Waitress
Hometown: St. Paul, MN

Being the youngest contestant of the bunch doesn't intimidate Jordis Unga, since she has crammed more musical and life experience into her 22 years than many people twice her age.

The child of a musician father, himself originally from the Pacific island nation of Tonga, Jordis was born in Massachusetts, but moved around frequently as a child. Ultimately, she and her family settled in St. Paul, Minn., when Jordis was 10 years old. Inspired by the Twin Cities' lively music scene, which spawned Jordis' idol Prince, among others, Jordis dove headfirst into music, honing her skills at the Perpich Center for Arts Education.

Jordis developed her musical chops where it matters most, on stage. There, she developed her amazingly mature, bluesy voice and honed her performance skills. While still keeping herself afloat by working as a bartender, Jordis and her band, The Fighting Tongs, have toured throughout the region and performed alongside Twisted Sister, Anthrax, Sevendust and Damageplan.

With music in the blood and on the brain (she cites Etta James, Stevie Wonder, and Ray Charles as other big influences), Jordis enters "Rock Star:INXS" confident that she has what it takes to win.

Marty Casey

Day Job: Real Estate Appraiser/ Musician
Hometown: Chicago, IL

The youngest of six children, Marty Casey is a study in tenacity. He founded his band, the Lovehammers, when he was 14 years old, and they've been together ever since. Marty has kept the band going even as he picked up a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Illinois, interned for the Board of Trade, worked for an independent record label and became a successful real estate appraiser.

Marty's drive is backed up by a lot of talent. A place winner of the John Lennon songwriting contest with his song "Rain on the Brain," Marty has used his originality and devotion to turn the Lovehammers into more than just a garage project. The Lovehammers have opened for Nickelback, Jerry Cantrell, Interpol, New Found Glory, and, most recently, Cake and Gomez on a 21-city tour.

Marty and the Lovehammers have even stormed the worlds of film, TV and DVD. In 2004, their DVD "Live/Raw" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard musical DVD chart; they are now regularly placing singles in movie soundtracks, and their song "This Town" has been selected as the theme song for the World Shidokan Championships on ESPN.

His stage persona, which draws comparisons to Mick Jagger and Iggy Pop, belies a quiet, even shy guy in everyday life. But reserved though he may be, Marty is nonetheless on a search for an even bigger stage, which has led him to Los Angeles and this competition. He believes that, like his beloved Chicago Cubs, this will be the summer he finally breaks through to the promised land.

Mig Ayesa

Day Job: Stage Performer
Hometown: London, England (originally from Sydney, Australia)

Mig Ayesa was born in Manila, Philippines, but when he was 2 years old his family moved to Sydney, Australia. Mig grew up there, and was on his way to a Communications degree from Macquarie University in Sydney.

But at the age of 20, Mig landed an opportunity that propelled his life onto a very different course: he was offered the role of Richie Valens in the Australian production of the musical "Buddy." With his powerful voice and exotic good looks, Mig was a natural for the role, so he put his studies on hold while he toured with "Buddy" all over Australia.

After gaining further repute in Australia with successes in theater, commercials, TV, film and music, Mig made his next big leap in 2002, this time to London, ready to take his electrifying stage presence and robust voice to an even bigger stage. He quickly found another starring role in a rock-based show, this time in the Queen musical, "We Will Rock You." Mig proved to be so commanding in the role of Galileo that original Queen guitarist Brian May took an interest in his work, and they have now initiated their own collaboration.

Now, Mig feels ready to make the biggest leap of all -- to international superstardom. Between his ability to master different rock styles and his ongoing need to create his own original music (with bands Randy Badass & The Slickmaster Five, Lovetown and The Riva Band), he considers himself a natural to take the mantle of lead singer for INXS.

Mig knows that leaving a lead role on London's West End is a big risk, but after a successful career on stage, he also knows that opportunities like this one are extremely rare. That's why he's willing to put it all on the line for a shot at becoming a rock star.

Neal Carlson

Day Job: Administrative Coordinator
Hometown: Queens, NY

Neal Carlson was born and raised in Queens, New York, along with his one brother. He attended SUNY Brockport College, where he graduated with a B.A. in communications, and also spent some time attending Middlesex University in London.

With so much experience in New York and London, it's no wonder that Neal is drawn to the classic rock of Rod Stewart's band Faces and the Rolling Stones (especially "Exile on Main Street"). From this foundation, Neal has developed his own unique blend of straight-ahead rock and psychedelia: he explains that his song lyrics are about "celebrating and partying with a purpose."

Neal started out performing in the coffee shops and dive bars of New York's Lower East Side, a breeding ground for many of the best-loved acts in rock history. Ceaselessly creative, he has since released a solo acoustic album called "Pseudovibe," founded a rock band called Bona Roba, and finished a second CD titled "Reach In and Get Her."

Neal has a great sense of humor about life and his music -- you'd have to in order to describe your own style as "loud, fast and sweaty" -- but don't be fooled. His ambition to succeed is as powerful as anyone's, and he backs it up with true rocker's voice and attitude.

Suzie McNeil

Day Job: Musician
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

A native of Toronto, Suzie McNeil was born into a musical family. She was practically raised singing with her mother and sister, learning to collaborate from a very early age.

From that foundation, Suzie evolved into a versatile, powerful artist, who combines a magnetic stage presence with vocal and multi-instrumental (piano, guitar, harmonica) proficiency. It's no wonder Suzie has already achieved that rarest of goals -- working full-time as a professional musician -- for the last five years.

Keeping Toronto as her home base, Suzie has compiled impressive record of musical accomplishments. These range from live gigs with some of Canada's top acts (Alan Frew, Garth Hudson, Ronnie Hawkins) to lucrative commercial jingles to an ongoing starring role as Agnetha in the musical tribute show "Abba Mania," which she has performed in front of crowds of up to 15,000 people.

But Suzie hasn't lost her attraction to original material. She continues to perform under the name Jackrabbit (her rock/soul alter ego), and has collaborated on several projects with fellow Canadian's Sean Cotton and songwriter/drummer, Alison Maclean.

Now, Suzie is eager to put all of her life's experience and ambition to the ultimate test. She knows that she'll need the wisdom gained from each of her varied accomplishments, as well as the inspiration of some of her musical idols (Etta James, Pink Floyd, Queen) in order to prevail. But in her heart, she knows she is destined to be the next great rock star.

Tara Slone

Day Job: Musician
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Raised primarily in Nova Scotia, Canada, rocker Tara Slone began her career with musical aspirations of a different sort. As a young opera singer with classical voice training since the age of 12, she began working on a music degree at 18.

But it didn't take long before Tara's artistic path veered in a different direction; she switched to the theater program at Montreal's Concordia University, then, at age 22, moved to Toronto to pursue an acting career and start a band.

In 1996, Tara answered an ad in the paper and became the lead singer of Joydrop. The band signed with Tommy Boy Records a mere eight months later. Joydrop went on to release two albums, work with acclaimed producer Ron St. Germain (Creed, Tool, Soundgarden), produce the rock hit "Beautiful," and be nominated for a Juno Award, the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy. Tara even got to appear opposite rocker Tommy Lee in the music video for one of their singles, "Sometimes Wanna Die."

Since the breakup of Joydrop, Tara has spent time working on a solo album with producer Jordon Zadorozny, who has written with Hole.

Tara's sophisticated and soulful sound has been compared to some of the greatest female rockers, especially Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders. An avid fan of such classic rockers as the Beatles (her favorite), Led Zeppelin, Tom Petty, Robert Plant and Bon Scott, she is also an active member of the Shambhala Buddhist community and acts as the health and wellbeing coordinator at her meditation center.

Tara has two wishes for the rest of the year. The first is that hockey comes back. The second, you can probably guess.

Ty Taylor

Day Job: Musician/Stage Performer
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA (originally from Montclair, NJ)

Born and raised in Montclair, N.J., with his three siblings, Ty Taylor grew up singing in a Baptist church. But in seventh grade, a friend made a fateful introduction, turning Ty on to the music of the Clash. Ty began to fuse his background in gospel with his newfound love of punk rock.

Ty was blessed not only with musical desire, but with the drive and skill to back it up. An honor-roll student at his performing-arts high school, Ty landed a full scholarship to Carnegie Mellon University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in drama and music.

After finishing school, Ty's momentum just kept building. He and his band, Dakota Moon, signed with Elektra Records and had two Top 10 hits in the U.S., as well as countries all over the world. After leaving Dakota Moon, Ty produced and performed his solo project in all of L.A.'s hottest clubs. He has also toured with Eric Clapton, Macy Gray, Fiona Apple and Tina Turner, among others, and lent his talents to countless commercials, voice-overs and jingles.

Those credits might be enough for most people, but there's another side to Ty's musical r?sum?. He has become an accomplished musical-theater actor, most recently in the Las Vegas version of "We Will Rock You: The Music of Queen," but also in the Broadway productions of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," "Grease," "Songs for a New World" and "The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber Concert."

A guitarist, pianist, martial artist and painter, Ty is also a self-confessed troublemaker. Certainly, he looks ready to cause trouble for his competition here.

Wil Seabrook

Day Job: Musician
Hometown: Pasadena, CA (originally from Morganton, NC)

Though a native of North Carolina, Wil Seabrook became a genuine citizen of the world early in life. When he was 8 years old, he moved with his parents to Germany, then traveled to China, Thailand and New Zealand before returning to the United States. All the while, Wil had been developing an interest in music, which drove him to record an album for his senior high school project.

That album turned out to be much more than a one-off. Wil has since completely devoted himself to his music, with impressive and growing success. In 2000, he released his self-titled independent album on the label Chicago Kid. Months of touring the U.S. with his own band and a tour of England with the Pretenders' guitarist Robbie McIntosh followed, as did a recording deal with Maverick/WB.

Since then, Wil has opened for Dave Matthews, Sister Hazel, Chris Isaak, Dishwalla and Vertical Horizon, among others. He has developed into a riveting performer with sophisticated, edgy lyrics. But all the while, Wil has maintained a positive and expansive attitude toward performance; his sole objective is to have the audience walk away feeling better than they did when they came in.

Now based in Southern California, Wil knows that this competition presents a huge opportunity to rise to the top, but he still maintains that true success is measured by how many people are cheering for you when you finally make it there. Between his talent and his generous nature, Wil could be measuring them in the millions.

MSN