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SHANNONE HOLT is, without question, the next great voice in American music. The 20something classically trained vocalist discovered her instrument at age 2 in her father's church. Her father, a doo-wop singer turned pastor and mother, a piano/English teacher began teaching their 6 year old daughter classical piano, and then enrolled her into violin lessons shortly after.

A native of Nashville, Tennessee who now lives in Brooklyn, New York, Shannone's velvety voice has been compared to the towering crescendos of Whitney Houston, and to Toni Braxton's unfettered, muscular croons. Like legendary singers Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin, this child of the church's smooth, buttery alto effortlessly crosses the boundaries of gospel, jazz, the blues, hiphop, R&B, classic soul, pop, rock and roll, and opera, creating a vocal experience that is magical, sonically eclectic, and spiritually empowering.

Shannone indeed does it all - singer, songwriter, producer, and arranger. And though she majors in "all things music," she has also dabbled in modeling - a pastime she enjoys, but explains that, "Aside from being respected as a musician and a songwriter, I'd like the world to see my inner beauty. Everything on the outside is temporary. It will all pass away. And while I love fashion, and enjoy different styles, at the end of the day, when I come home, I've got to come out of these clothes and shoes, lose the hair and make-up, and see my soul through those eyes in the mirror. It's my spirit I want people to remember and the emotion my music evokes. I want always my spirit to be felt."

HER FIRST CD, THE SHANNONE HOLT EP:

The Shannone Holt EP purposely crosses lyrical and musical boundaries because Shannone is serious, very serious, about her creative freedom. "As artists, were often put into a niche, into neat little boxes, to define our sound or style, and it's really frustrating," she explains. "All the musical parts of me are going to define my sound, not just one thing. All of it matters to me, everything that has ever influenced me."

The Shannone Holt EP can be found at:

PERFORMANCES:

In 2005 alone, Shannone performed at NYC's:

"Respect Me," written and performed by Shannone, appears on the soundtrack of the film AMERICAN GUN, starring Forest Whitaker and Donald Sutherland. She has rocked the stage with veterans, DOUG E. FRESH and MC LYTE.