Sherry Lawson
Tullahoma, Tennessee, United States
Music
Press
A self-described "60s hippie", Sherry Lawson captures the spirit of folk's golden age on her charming and melodic debut, On a Planet Where it Rains. Lawson, who hosts an open mic at the Cup and Saucer each Sunday night, seizes this forum for herself, displaying impressive vocal range and lyrical skills. On the album's most political song, Lawson addresses a "Union Man, " singing, "Now you're rich and it's true for you/Guilty of the things they used to do." However, most of the themes on Planet are either personal, dealing with lost romance and fallen friends, or spiritual, as on the album-ending medley "The Law of One/Your Mouth is a Prayer." Musically, Lawson can rock out Sheryl Crow-style, as she does with help from producer/guitarist Steve Phillips on "You Get What You Settle For," but she can also cop a sultry, jazzy coo, add a little county twang to a country hoedown, or mute herself to a hesitant near-whisper on her softer material. Yet what really sets her apart is her ear for melody - many singer/songwriters have enough talent to wow the coffeehouse crowd, but Lawson has the hooks to leave them singing her tunes later.
Andrew Miller, Music Critic - Kansas City Pitch Weekly - Kansas City Pitch Weekly
Sherry Lawson's CD On a Planet Where it Rains is the type of album that gives meaning to having a CD player in your car. Plan on a nice long country drive & pretty soon you'll be singing along.
Sarah Ackerman Hale, CRC, Borders Books and Music - Borders Books and Music
Sherry Lawson's, On a Planet Where it Rains raises the bar for all performing songwriters. The songs are expertly crafted and masterfully produced, with lyrics and melodies that linger long after the song ends. The opening tracks On a Planet Where it Rains, and I Want my Heart Back showcase captivating melodies and counter-point harmonies that announce a sophisticated marriage of lyrical and musical content which continues throughout the remaining tunes on the CD. The songs cover a wide range of styles from the sensitive pop-folk ballads of These Hands and I'm Over You to the jazz influenced Cocoon and Lunar Blues. The listener is treated to a diverse musical journey with stops along the way for the up-tempo romp of You Get What You Settle For and the Cajun influenced Beauty of the South. This is a recording that warrants repeated listening and is bound to become a favorite in anyone's music collection.
Duane E. Woner, Nashville Songwriters Association (NSAI) KC Regional Workshop Coordinato - NSAI
Sherry's music is original, soothing and food for the soul.
Carol Ritberger, Ph.D, Author, What Color is Your Personality?
- Spirit 2000
I have to tell you, my dad who doesn't listen to anything but bluegrass/country music even liked it. Union Man is what caught his attention. He got beat up pretty badly 30+ years ago when he was a trucker and he crossed the picket line for a strike.
Chris, Security Guard,
Fan mail received Jan. 2000
- Chris
This collection of twelve original songs shows off her songwriting talent well. Her soulful vocals tie this album together, yet there is a delightful mix of styles from the somber Cocoon to the Cajun Beauty of the South to the straight ahead rock nroll of You Get What you Settle For. The production is just enough to support the songs, with very nice guitar work by Rick Mareske and Steve Phillips. This is a great album to put on after a stressful week to help your spirit heal.
David Haken, Founder, Songwriter's Circle
Kansas City
- Songwriter's Circle Review
Discography
On a Planet Where it Rains - CD released 2001
Leap and the Net will Appear - CD released 2008
Photos
Bio
My name is Sherry Lawson and I’m a Late Bloomer. This may sound like an introduction to a 12-step group but being a late bloomer is something to be nurtured …not stopped. That is the message of my new CD, “Leap and the Net will Appear” and my mission. It’s never too late to travel a new path.
My story is not so different from millions of others in the world:
I fell in love with the Beatles at age 12 and my parents took me to see them when they performed in Kansas City. My first concert. But my interest in music started even before that British Invasion. Mom and Dad always had music around us. Happily escaping the farm and a small town, they loved all things modern and they loved to dance; both were very good at it. So early on I heard Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Perry Como, Frankie Laine, got to meet Brenda Lee at an auto show etc etc. Music was an important part of their lives and so mine. I loved to sing and was chosen to be in a small singing group in Jr. High School and attended summer music camp at that same time.
High School however, did nothing to develop these seemingly random events into an aspiration. But it did introduce me to Led Zepplin, Cream, Joni Mitchell, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin….the list goes on. But it wasn’t until I had been married and divorced that I met a musician and spent time with his band that I realized this was something I wanted to do. This was challenging as I had a small child at that time and a series of men in my life who didn’t want to work, leaving little time to pursue my new goal. I did what I could, though, and played in many bands part-time for very little money. A few years later I had the opportunity to be a flight attendant which broadened my horizons but left no time for music. When I quit flying I went back to music again, still playing “cover” songs in bands.
When my son went to college I moved to Atlanta and decided to take on the corporate world, once again putting music away. During my ladder climbing, on my 40th birthday I sang karaoke with a co-worker, Diane Otte, and my son, who was home from college for the summer, said we sounded good together. I asked her if she wanted to work some songs out. I had wanted to learn to play guitar so that’s what we did. In a short time we were an acoustic duo called “Delilah” and I wrote my first real song, “I Want my Heart Back”. You can hear it on my website www.sherrylawsonplanet.com . Eight years later I had moved to Memphis, married my husband, Ed; moved back to Kansas City so he could go to chiropractic school; and while there, recorded my first CD….at age 48.
You may or may not be familiar with the recording industry and their views on age. I can tell you firsthand, they are not even nice about it. They are only looking for youngsters to “break”. Of course, it’s not just that industry; they are representative of our country’s view on age vs. worth. Where does that leave people like me? At 55 I have recorded my 2nd CD and writing a musical around the songs on my first CD. I can’t wait for the world to wake-up and recognize my worth. I’m going to show it to them.
I started a website www.latebloomerscan2.com to encourage my youth-challenged peers to go for their dreams also. Hopefully to give and get support; to thumb our noses at the corporate machine that tells us we’re too old to change our lives; to live our dreams. I’m going forward and I have a feeling there are lots of wonderful, creative, contributors to society who are afraid to take that first step; who feel they’re too old; who feel unsupported in taking their leap of faith.
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