Sarah Elizabeth Burkey

Bio:

Singer-Songwriter, Recording Artist, and Actress, Sarah Elizabeth, has performed in 18 countries but has called Kentucky home all her life. Sarah plays 11 instruments and her work appears on 15 albums. Sarah Elizabeth is to Kentucky what Fats Domino was to New Orleans. Fats epitomized the sound of the Crescent City in his time, equally giving an honorable nod to his musical ancestry while carrying the torch on to his generation. Sarah does this too, but in our context and in our time. Her sound is deeply rooted in the Kentucky hills, with a voice sweeter than a honeysuckle vine in spring and old as the current of the Ohio River.

Sarah Elizabeth Burkey was born and raised on Rural Route 4, Kevil, Kentucky. Her unique musical and literary compositions are born of this rich history. Sarah's work has been published in books and literary journals in the US and Europe. In 2007 Sarah's work was featured in the book reflections upon the 50th anniversary of Jack Kerouac's On the Road. 2007 found Sarah performing in Portugal, England, and across the US including a California tour.

The non-fiction book Western Kentucky: Lost & Forgotten, Found & Remembered by Sarah Elizabeth and Ron Whitehead, a travel book unlike any other, is a must read! Inspired by hiking 325 miles for 19 days across Kentucky forests, fields, backroads & railroads, it is the companion book to Sarah's album When The Redbuds Bloom.

Sarah Elizabeth was the keynote speaker and featured performer at Ohio University's 8th Annual Women of Appalachia Conference in 2006. Sarah plays the lead in the independent feature film Red Velvet Cake, filmed entirely in Kentucky in 2006. This film has not yet been released.

Sarah recorded her latest album DON'T DIE YET immediately upon returning from the Sacred Black Hills of South Dakota where she spent a great deal of time on the Sioux Reservation with the International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers. Grammy Nominated Musician, Tony Redhouse accompanies Sarah on this album with Native American flute and drum plus many other instruments from indigenous cultures of the world. Sarah Elizabeth's songwriting drips with passion and a sacred appreciation of life.

2010 finds Sarah giving concerts around the world and on a front porch near you. Sarah is experiencing a songwriting surge as we speak and will record two new albums in the coming year.

Sarah has collaborated with: Jim James & Carl Broemel (My Morning Jacket), Barrie Barlow (Jethro Tull), Pete Brown (Cream), David Amram (Jack Kerouac's musical collaborator), Ron Whitehead, Jean Ritchie, Tyrone Cotton, Joe Manning, Larry Beasley (Bill Monroe), Frank Messina (Mets Poet Laureate), many other great musicians from every genre, poets, artists, & dancers all over the world.

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Member Since:

November 19, 2007

Influences:

rivers, trees, ancestors, backroads, lightnin' bugs, rain, sitting on kitchen counters, dad's blue collar, mama's prayers, working in tobacco, listening to and feeling the wind, the voice of a friend...

Sounds Like:

Record Label:

livin the music. there ain't no label on me