Deanna Brown

To be frank, I am not the ideal audience member for 99% of current, indie female singers. I most often find myself being sent into the inevitable insulin shock at the sound of their cliché chorus’, over the top emotional love ballads and Fran Drescher sounding voices—(nothing against Fran, but it’s a voice that should not be in song). So, hold on to your country hats, and hold on for a game-changer that gets you excited about indie music again; and not just indie music, but indie music with a strong, feisty female lead. Meet Deanna Brown, who is a female with real talent, real songs, a real voice and the one with real legs; in other words, the one with staying power.
Deanna Brown hails from Kentucky, the Bluegrass State, (not named because of the music, but because the fertile soil makes the grass appear blue). It is a state filled with expansive rivers, immense parks, tons of wildlife and the longest cave system in the world, Mammoth Cave. At the age of five, Deanna’s mother had her try out for a singing part in an Oscar Meyer Bologna commercial. Although she wasn’t selected, it was a love affair at first sight between Deanna, singing and the camera. She began writing words to instrumental Christian music and recording them into a karaoke style machine. From there she began singing in school choirs, talent shows and local fair competitions. In the years 2002, 2004 and 2008, she participated in the television program American Idol, where she wowed the judges with a sultry rendition of Otis Redding’s Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay, and she made it to the finals.

Today, we find Deanna, nestled away in the tropical climate, perfectly baked US Virgin Islands. But she has not exactly been ‘sittin’ on the dock of the bay’. A year after Idol, she inked her first record deal with Ocean Records and released Traveler, her debut album. It was a bluesy, thought provoking piece of work, which firmly planted her voice, her sound and her sentiment in the hearts of fans, new and old. “The type of music I write chooses me,” she says, her Kentucky drawl hanging loosely in the air. “The framework for my musical style was developed by growing up in Kentucky and listening to soulful southern rock. Somewhere around high school, in the late 90's, I discovered Fiona Apple and Alanis Morissette. These ballsy women showed me how to find my voice.”
And finding her voice is exactly what she’s done. Her latest release, The Plunge, amplifies the elements that made Traveler so alluring. “Traveling and immersing myself amidst eclectic musicians has given me the ability to write artsy songs as well as radio friendly pop numbers,” she says. The Plunge plays like a Greatest Hits album, waiting for us to discover our next favorite song. It’s extraordinarily assured, polished and highly appealing. And in the album, you hear hints of her influences; coupled with her own strength as an artist and musician, she creates a sound that is uniquely and authentically her own. “My influences include musicians such as Fiona Apple, Alanis, Jewel, PJ Harvey, Sheryl Crow, Bonnie Raitt, Coldplay and Radiohead,” she says. “Also, many of my favorite books and movies have influenced strong feelings and have turned into songs for me. Some of those are Crime and Punishment, If You Have to Cry, Go Outside, Anna Karenina and movies like The Notebook and True Romance.” It also helps that some of Deanna’s favored song topics include; Leaving, Traveling, Living Life to the Fullest, Taking the Plunge, Rediscovering Oneself, Love Won and Love Lost.
And as the notoriety of Idol, gathers dust in her rearview mirror, Deanna faces the challenges and rewards of being an independent artist on a daily basis. “Some of the benefits of being an indie artist are having full control over the creative process,” she says. “You are involved in every aspect of getting a song written and recorded; being aware of the massive amount of behind the scenes work that goes into making music, getting to connect one on one with fans and being able to sell your merchandise independently.” It is a double edged sword. “Some disadvantages include not fully knowing where to start when you are first getting your name out there, keeping up momentum and not letting yourself think one or two goals getting reached is going to propel you for an extended amount of time, and having every decision come down to you (although great sometimes) can be overwhelming at times too. Don’t get frustrated. Don’t give up.”
Deanna is a seasoned road veteran, once again gearing up for a tour next month. She knows what it takes to cultivate a loyal following and have her audience invest, now and in the future. In her trademark, down home charm, the sort of charm that makes you expect a freshly baked apple pie, she concludes with—well, that trademark down home charm. “Stories and emotions have been passed through music for generations and we all seem to relate to at least some genre of music or another, even if we - The Noise Beneath the Apple

"Ones to Watch: Deanna Brown, the subtle blonde with a country drawl."
-Caryn Ganz, Rolling Stone -ROCK and ROLL DAILY - ROCK and ROLL DAILY

"I'm already totally sold on Deanna Brown. Equal parts gravel, heart, and soul, has me thinking she's a singer who could excel at country or rock or blues. Michael Slezak EW.com "
-Michael Slezak, EW.com - EW.com

Deanna Brown is an American Idol Season 8 contestant who auditioned in Phoenix, Arizona. 26-year-old Deanna is originally from Louisville, Kentucky, but she is currently living in Los Angeles where she is pursuing her music career with her band, the Deanna Brown Band.

Deanna Brown Audition:

Deanna Brown sang "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding for her audition for American Idol Season 8 in Phoenix, Arizona. All four American Idol judges voted to send Deanna to Hollywood. She didn't bring any family with her to the audition, so Ryan Seacrest pretended to be her family after she was given her golden ticket to Hollywood. When Simon Cowell asked Deanna why she thought she hadn't broken into the music business yet, Deanna answered, "I haven't stepped into the right opportunity -- now I'm here."

More About Deanna Brown:

Deanna Brown's American Idol Profile
Watch Deanna Brown's American Idol Audition
Deanna Brown's MySpace Page
YouTube Channel for the Deanna Brown Band

http://louisville.about.com/od/newsmedia/p/deannabrown.htm - About.com

Deanna Brown exuded a quiet confident during her initial American Idol audition. It was enough to give her a ticket to Hollywood during the show's eighth season.

Date Added: 01/14/09

http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/gallery/deanna-brown/ - The Hollywood Gossip

Several people thought Kentuckian Deanna Brown (auditioned with Otis Redding’s (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay) had the makings of a country singer, but the extensive list of influences of her MySpace page suggests a different story. About the closest Deanna gets to country is Jewel and Nickel Creek. She has several '70s-rock favorites thanks to her parents: Carole King, Queen, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Creedence Clearwater Revival. More often, though, her tastes run towards alternative rock (Radiohead, Portishead, Nine Inch Nails, Morphine, Alice in Chains) and female singer-songwriters (Fiona Apple, PJ Harvey, Sarah McLachlan, Beth Orton, Alanis Morissette, Norah Jones, Tori Amos). From that list, it's possible she could go any direction -- it'll be interesting to see where she takes things.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/idolchatter/post/2009/01/61586344/1 - USATODAY

Dear Hollywood,
To whom it may concern behind the much ballyhooed and bedeviled Janis Joplin biopic:
You need stand up and take notice of a one, Miss Deanna Brown. A starlet and a star. She possesses the vocal range not usually bestowed upon such a pretty white girl… That’s not racist, it’s just true.
She would fit the bill and then some. Yes, she’s a friend of mine… but, no, that’s not why she’s good (although, I do tend to reserve my friendship for only those so talented).
Deanna Brown’s new/freshman album, “Traveler,” along with some early exclusive tracks you only wish you had access to, prove her worth among the rising stars of tomorrow. The Kentucky native, and my sometime neighbor, appeared on American Idol season 8 and immediately garnered notice from the judges and the press alike.
Even if the Janis Joplin thing fell through b/c of studio bs, she could play Carole King. Or maybe Bonnie Raitt (after dying her hair and getting some extensions).
This album was recorded in in the Virgin Islands, and I dare say there’s some reggae/country fusion (”Can’t Find You”), Latin flavor (”Burned Out”), and more traditional (”Traveler”) to be found. The album builds like a concert, easing into a hard hitting second half, where you can find the two tracks below. I’ll post a third from an early EP that’s older than my LA Life (4 years, 1 month, and twelve days) but totally timeless for a beautiful, soulful soul such as Deanna.
Sincerely,
Me (Dan Steele)

http://toomuchhappiness.com/album_review/songs-of-deanna-brown-traveler - Too Much Happiness Music Review

http://music-mix.ew.com/2010/01/05/american-idol-graduates-best-songs/
by Michael Slezak

This just in from the Department of American Idol Blasphemy: Earlier today, I posted a gallery of 28 of the best songs ever recorded by the show’s alumni, and my omission of not just one, but two Idol champs, as well as three Idol runners-up, resulted in the launching of many strongly worded emails and Tweets in my general direction. “You included LaKisha Jones but not **a*a *e*a***?” “How could you leave off *a*ha**ne ***hee?” “Where the heck is **be* S****a**?” some of you demanded to know. And, to my shock, I even managed to offend myself by overlooking season 8’s tragically early evictee Deanna Brown and her bluesy little number “Sometime Ago,” from her recent indie release Traveler. (I’ve tried to make amends by embedding it below.) But hey, that’s how it goes when it comes to the graduates of American Idol U: There are former contestants out there making a whole lotta music, and when a definitive list of some sort or other gets compiled, there are gonna be inadvertent (and, yes, overt) omissions. Click here to check out our randomly ordered playlist, then head on down to the comments section below to tell us which songs and artists you think should’ve made the cut. (Yelling at your humble listmaker is both allowed and encouraged, as long as you follow me on Twitter @EWMichaelSlezak!)

- EW.com