Tabitha Fair is the product of a rich family and musical heritage — an unusual blend of Chickasaw, Cherokee, French, German, and Dutch. She was born and raised in Oklahoma, the daughter of a preacher and his wife, the songwriting musical director of his church. Tabitha grew up singing in her father’s congregation, inspired by the gospel and Gospel music. Her remarkably beautiful young voice quickly became the centerpiece of the annual meetings of the Chickasaw Indian tribe.
By the age of 15, she was starring in her own local Tulsa TV show, Tabitha. But Oklahoma was too limiting for her talent and ambition, and she soon headed to Nashville. After making her initial splash at the Grand Ole Opry, Tab quickly became one of Nashville’s top vocalists, touring and/or recording with the likes of Amy Grant, Wynonna Judd, Faith Hill, Lee Ann Womack, and Trisha Yearwood. She continued to explore her Gospel roots as both a writer and performer, co-founding Avalon, the highest-selling Contemporary Christian group of all time, and working with many legendary Christian artists, Cece Winans, Third Day, Clay Cross, Twyla Paris, and Mark Shultz, among them.
In 1998, Tabitha received the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s prestigious Abe Ohlman Award, which recognizes writers of great promise. Smitten by New York, she moved north to put more focus on her solo career. In short order, she became the favorite singer of platinum songwriters, who found her singing ability and sensibility comparable to that of artists with whom they worked, Christina Aguilera, Celine Dion, Vanessa Williams, and Mariah Carey, among them. Songwriter/producers, like Billy Mann, Andy Marvel, Adam Anders, Phil Galdston, Peter Zizzo, Annie Roboff, and John Denicola, who called her “one of the greatest singers I’ve ever heard,” helped establish her as one of the premiere demo and backing vocalists in the Apple.
While developing her solo package, Tabitha has continued to perform in the northeast, around the nation, and overseas. She has a loyal New York fan base and has solidified an incredible live band, including world-famous David Letterman bassist, Will Lee. She has been featured in concert duets with such musical greats as Sting (The Rainforest Benefit - Carnegie Hall), Travis Tritt (SXSW), Michael McDonald, and with the legendary Sam Moore (Sam & Dave), with whom she toured the world. Tabitha performed at President Clinton’s second inauguration in Washington D.C., where she was accompanied by an all-star band that included such luminaries as Bruce Hornsby and David Pack (Ambrosia). She is the vocal soloist with the Yamaha Groove Night ensemble, which includes John Robinson, Neil Steubenhaus, Steve Gadd, David Spinoza, Ralph McDonald, and Will Lee. She and Carole King collaborated on the theme song for the feature film, “ The Sum Of All Fears.” And Tab and her long-time romantic partner, drummer Rich Mercurio, were recently featured in the Gap’s 2008 get-out-the-vote print campaign.
Tabitha has been a featured lead, background, and/or duet partner on recordings by Keith Urban, Celine Dion, BJ Thomas, Amy Grant, Third Day, Victor Wooten, and The Van Zant Brothers, to name a few. Among the illustrious record producers with whom she has recorded are Phil Ramone, Randy Jackson, Keith Thomas, John Rich, Desmond Child, and Tony Brown.
Recently, Tabitha has been in the studio with GRAMMY®-nominated songwriter/producer Phil Galdston (Vanessa Williams, Celine Dion, Brandy, and many others). The sessions, which have taken an old-school approach in order to focus on Tabitha’s evocative retro soul singing, feature a band of guitar great Marc Copely, bass legend Will Lee, drummer/percussionists Rich Mercurio and Philly all-star Charles Collins, keyboardist Rob Arthur, and backing vocalists Lisa Fischer, Cindy Mizelle, Greg Clark, Tommy Niblack, and Neal Coomer. The project will be mixed by multiple GRAMMY®-winning engineer Dave O’Donnell (James Taylor, John Mayer, Eric Clapton, Keb' Mo', Lyle Lovett, Joss Stone, Morrissey, Ray Charles).
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