Karen Lawrence (singer-songwriter)
Karen Lawrence is an American singer and songwriter who has worked with the L.A. Jets, 1994, Karen Lawrence and the Pinz and Blue by Nature. She sang backup vocals on "Get it up" from Draw the Line by Aerosmith and also sang on a Jeff Beck album.
A stage performer continually since the age of 9, she fronted her first band, a blues outfit, at the age of 13. As front woman for the A&M band 1994: (produced by Jack Douglas ), Lawrence’s distinctive and emotive vocal stylings frequently put her on international critics’ "Best Female Singer" lists. Wrote Kerrang!... "it was 1994:’s Karen Lawrence who gave the others the choice of being second best or giving up". In addition to lead vocal and writing credits on Jeff Beck’s Epic/Legacy release Beckology, Lawrence’s most notable coup was composing "Prisoner (Love Theme from Eyes of Laura Mars)", immortalized by Barbra Streisand. Over 4 times platinum, the song has been identified in songbooks as one of the one hundred best love songs.
Blue by Nature was formed in March 1993, when Lawrence and her collaborator of 14 years, rhythm guitarist Fred Hostetler, joined up with longtime friend Rick Dufay. Dufay, a former Aerosmith axeman, delivered an explosive and provocative guitar sound to the band. Four years and three critically acclaimed CD’s later, Dufay left to pursue a solo career and the torch was passed to young Brad Ayers. Ayers crisp Buddy Guy like riffs appear on the Hard Daze release. Shortly after the CD was finished, his promising career ended when he died of natural causes.
Other notable performances
Karen Lawrence sang the title song of the TV series Misfits of Science.
Discography
- L.A. Jets - L.A. Jets (1976) RCA APL1-1547
- 1994: - 1994 (1978) A&M 4709
- 1994: - Please Stand By (1979) A&M 4769
- Karen Lawrence and the Pinz - Girls Night Out (1981) RCA Afl1 4006
- Karen Lawrence - Rip and Tear (1986) Revolver REVLP 75
- Blues By Nature - Blue to the Bone (1995) SRD 8, Shattered 9
- Blue By Nature - Live at the Lake (1998) Hostel 55
- Blue By Nature - Hard Daze (2000) Hostel 57
References
- Artist Direct Biography
- Page from the Misfits of Science Wiki on the theme song
- Blue By Nature main page