Stevie Vallance

Bio:

Stevie Vallance:

Director, Vocalist, Actor, Host, Producer

(updated April 22, 2010)

By the time Montreal-born, Toronto-raised Stevie Vallance was twelve, she had performed her way across eastern Canada with the Charlottetown Festival. After graduating from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, in New York, she was fronting a band in Los Angeles, when a CBS executive heard her and offered her the recurring role of recording artist, 'Sylvie', on the long-running series, Knots Landing. She then spent a year on The Ropers, learning comedic timing from veterans Norman Fell and Jeffrey Tambor.

Stevie has worked with some amazing actors such as Tom Hanks on Bosom Buddies, Ed Asner on Lou Grant and Simon McCorkindale on Falcon's Gold. When she guest-starred on Road to Avonlea, Christopher Reeve whisked away on a horse and when she played 'Erma Terradiddle', on Slam Dunk Ernest, she was Jim Varney's love interest. On LA Law, she got to act with Kevin Spacey and on the feature film, Three Men and a Baby, Stevie played 'Sally', opposite Steve Guttenberg.

In the '80s, Stevie commuted between Los Angeles and Toronto, on a regular basis. She played series regular, 'Det. Stevie Brody' on the CBS late-night series Night Heat, while at the same time, in Los Angeles, she played a very different sort of role; a pink kangaroo named 'Whazzat', on the Hallmark series, Zoobilee Zoo, with Ben Vereen. "I would often joke about pulling a Colt 45 out of my pouch!”

ANIMATION:

Vallance has infused life and personality into characters on thousands of animated productions including, 'Mouse' on Reboot, 'Share Bear' in the Care Bears movies, 'Dixie' on Donkey Kong, 'Natsuko Fuji' on Inuyasha, ‘G.L.A.D.I.S’ on Totally Spies, 'Sonia' on Sonic the Hedgehog and ‘Tigrerra’ on Bakugan. In 2002, Stevie received an EMMY AWARD for directing the dialogue & vocals for the beloved Disney classic, Madeline, in which she also portrayed 'Miss Clavel', the nun, and 'Genevive', the dog. In 2007, Stevie voice-produced Emmy Nominee Growing Up Creepie, for Discovery Kids and in 2008, she served as Voice Director on Teletoon's hit show, Best Ed.

Vallance continues to excel in the animation field. Last year, in LA, she cast and voice-directed the animated feature, Young Dr. Dolittle, starring Tom Kenney (Sponge Bob). In October, she facilitated 200 Animators in 'voicing' their own shows, as a Delegate at the 2009 Ottawa International Animation Festival. While teaching at the Festival, the animated pilot episodes that she cast and voice-directed for Teletoon’s Detour series’, called ‘Celebutards’, debuted at the Festival at the same time. Currently Stevie portrays ‘Tigrerra’, on Bakugan, while she continues to teach her incredibly fun and transformative Tooned In! Animation Acting Workshops, throughout North America; the most recent class taking place in New York City. Visit www.toonedin.ca for 2010 Workshop schedule.

MUSIC:

In 1995, Stevie relocated to Bowen Island, BC, where she met Michael Creber (pianist for k.d. Lang) and in 1998 they recorded Stevie's debut jazz CD, 'Practically Naked', reviewed by one critic as 'an unforgettable piece of music history, sung with a warmth and grace that sends shivers down the spine."

On her second CD, 'Always (A Salute to Patsy Cline)’, inspiration came from Stevie's one-woman portrayal of the legendary country singer, with whom Vallance coincidentally shares the same birthday. Stevie toured with the show in western Canada and opened for the Calgary Stampede, in 1999.

Motivated by the devastating loss of a close personal friend, Stevie produced jazz benefit concerts, 'Divas For Life'. With media sponsors such as Bravo and CBC on board, the critically acclaimed, standing-room-only jazz concerts, took place in Vancouver's Vogue Theatre (1250 seats). She also negotiated a national distribution deal, with Fusion Records, for a 'live' concert CD, that aired on CBC Radio's Hot Air and was released as part of the 2002 Vancouver International Jazz Festival line-up. The events raised $70,000 for people living with life-threatening illness and Stevie was presented with the Friends for Life Philanthropy Award.

"Vallance's voice sounds fabulous... mature, well recorded, comfortable, sexy..." said Paul Grant, of Stevie's forth Jazz CD, released in 2008. Arranged by Pat Coleman (guitar), ‘Make My Night’ offer’s smooth renditions of jazz standards as well as ‘original’ songs by Stevie and Vancouver-based composers such as, Jim Vallance.

Since 2008, Stevie has been based in Ontario’s Bruce Peninsula, where she now hosts her own radio show, 'Jazz & Blues on the Beach’, that airs every Sunday night, on www.98theBeach.ca

In 2009, Stevie performed in the Medicine Hat Jazz Festival for the second year in a row and she was also the featured vocalist with the Stardust Big Band and she also sang with the Charlie Bell Trio, in the Thornbury and Kincardine Jazz Festivals. In the fall she produced ‘Jazz Inclined’; Patsy Cline songs done with a ‘jazzy’ twist. The live recorded CD features Richard Whitman (piano), Mike Grace (bass) and Kevin Barrett (guitar).

In 2010, Stevie is pursuing her impresario talents with the 'Stevie Vallance & the Masters of Jazz:2010’ 7-concert series, at the Bruce Power Theatre, in Southampton, presenting world-class players such as Kieran Overs (bass), Ted Warren (drums), Bobby Brough (sax), Rob Clutton (bass), Nancy Walker (piano), Ted Quinlan (guitar), Tim Posgate (guitar) and George Koller (bass). The 7-concert jazz series kicked off on February 13th, 2010 with the Stevie Vallance Quintet and on April 10th, Stevie performed alongside renowned Canadian composer and friend, David Warrack, in the premiere of ‘3 Davids’; a Cabaret-jazz style revue comprised of Frishberg, Shire and Warrack tunes. Stevie is producing all concerts and also organising the ‘live’ recordings of every concert in the series for a ‘Best of the Masters of Jazz: 2010’ CD. www.mastersofjazz.ca

"Songs are lucky when Stevie Vallance sings them." ~ Ross Porter

"Intimate, vulnerable yet full of passion able to caress a word shape a phrase so that it comes alive this is an evening with the voice of Stevie Vallance." ~ Medicine Hat Jazz Festival

"Stevie Vallance, here's a vocalist with something to say and a sensational way of saying it" ~ Jurgen Goth

www.stevievallance.com

Member Since:

Members:

Toronto, ON: Richard Whiteman (piano), Ted Quinlan (guitar), Ted Warren (drums), Kieran overs (bass), Bob Brough (sax)

'Stevie Vallance & the MASTERS OF JAZZ: 2010' include Rob Clutton (bass), Nancy Walker (piano), Ted Quinlan (guitar), Tim Posgate (guitar), David Warrack (piano) and George Koller (bass)

'Masters of Jazz: 2010' Testimonials:

“It really was our pleasure.....both Jeff and I had a wonderful time...your talent as well as the others was overwhelming for the Saugeen Shores area. How lucky we are to have you in our backyard....bravo diva.....c'est tres bien!” -- Jenn Rock, Owen Sound

“Stevie, that was terrific! You were obviously in your element and just full of joy to be working with David. I'm a fan of George Koller, so enjoyed seeing him, and always, our favourite sax player from O.S. too... we want you to be able to keep doing this!” -- Sophie, Southampton “I had an amazing time yesterday great people, great vibes... and you sing beautifully and creatively...!!! it is a joy to meet you..you are a star” ~ George Koller, bass/’3 Davids’

“I feel by going to the concert to have stepped onto a land mine of joyfulness.” ~ Ulrich Pieplow, Port Elgin

“That's a nice concert line-up! And a good series too...” ~ Ted O’Reilly, Toronto

"Songs are lucky when Stevie Vallance sings them." - Ross Porter, Jazz.fm

"Vallance's voice sounds fabulous... mature, comfortable and sexy” - Paul Grant, CBC Radio

"Stevie Vallance serenaded the audience with a tear-jerking, Broadway-worthy performance of George and Ira Gershwin's 'The Man I Love'." - Alexandra Gill, Globe & Mail

“What a darling! What a sweetheart! She can sing, she can act, and she can dance up a storm. She has more than ability: she has presence. Seldom have I been as impressed with a performer." - Ray MacLeod,Halifax Metro Telecaster

Influences:

Purchase an autographed CD of PRACTICALLY NAKED: .. .. .. .. ..

Purchase an autographed CD of ALWAYS (A Tribute To Patsy Cline): .. .. .. .. ..

Purchase DIVAS FOR LIFE: LIVE AT THE VOGUE! .. .. .. .. ..

Sounds Like:

http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/media/slideshows/stevie/index.html

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Stevie as Emmy Award winning animation Voice Director and Jazz Singer:

Bravo documentary on DIVAS FOR LIFE:

Stevie as Whazzat Kangaroo in Zoobilee Zoo, 80s:

The Zone, YTV, Stevie teaches TOONED IN! (Animation voice-over Acting):

Record Label: