Charmaine Brooks
Encyclopedia
Charmaine Brooks is a Canadian rock singer/songwriter born in Stratford
, Ontario
, Canada
.
Charmaine began learning to play guitar at an early age, she then switched to drums, and began studying under local drummer Wayne Brown.
She said " singing was not something I ever thought I could do well"
Her musical influences she credits as Melissa Etheridge
, Patty Smyth
(Scandal
) Sheryl Crow
, Lisa Marie Presley
and fellow Canadians Sass Jordan
, Jann Arden
and Alannah Myles
, whom she just might have been trying to be in her first band The Mixx who supported local Canadian groups Helix and Big House.
One of her biggest influences she credits is the 1988 movie "Satisfaction" starring Justine Bateman
and Liam Neeson
, and the lead guitarist in the film who played Billy, Britta Phillips
In 1995 Brooks quit The Mixx to concentrate on writing songs, before returning to performing live with She Says So, a name she says she made up herself, that group never lasted and were soon disbanded.
"Fill Me Up", her debut CD was released in 2005, she co produced the album with good friend Kathy Luckhardt, while playing guitar (on most tracks) bass guitar and drums. The album took almost a year to record. Links to the CD were put on the internet in a bid to generate some interest; Jordismusic.com was one site that she received some response from, another was from the Melissa Etheridge Information Network, where she learnt from one of the network's members about an all women internet radio station called NTG Radio. NTG was named after Melissa's 1995 song, "Nowhere to Go". After some meetings with the station owners of NTG, Charmaine became a part of the NTG family. NTG evolved into WomenRock Radio in late 2006.
Since 2005, she has hosted her own interview show called Doing Time, in which she has interviewed female artists like Britta Phillips (her first interview), Alannah Myles
, Sophie B Hawkins, Taylor Dayne
, Suzi Quatro
, Dilana, Storm Large
and fellow Canadian Sass Jordan
to name just a few. Her unique one on one interview style highlights not only the artist and their music but also the character that is Charmaine Brooks, funny, flirtatious and very contagious.
In 2007, Charmaine interviewed rocker Melissa Etheridge about her cd "The Awakening". You can hear the full interview at *http://www.charmainebrooks.com/interviews.htm
Charmaine's show, "Doing Time", is featured on www.womenrockradio.com
Stratford, Ontario
Stratford is a city on the Avon River in Perth County in southwestern Ontario, Canada with a population of 32,000.When the area was first settled by Europeans in 1832, the townsite and the river were named after Stratford-upon-Avon, England. It is the seat of Perth County. Stratford was...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Charmaine began learning to play guitar at an early age, she then switched to drums, and began studying under local drummer Wayne Brown.
She said " singing was not something I ever thought I could do well"
Her musical influences she credits as Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Lou Etheridge is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician.Etheridge is known for her mixture of confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals...
, Patty Smyth
Patty Smyth
Patty Smyth is an American rock and roll musician. She first enjoyed mainstream success in 1982 as lead singer of the band Scandal and later scored a solo #2 hit with her song "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough"...
(Scandal
Scandal
A scandal is a widely publicized allegation or set of allegations that damages the reputation of an institution, individual or creed...
) Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
, Lisa Marie Presley
Lisa Marie Presley
Lisa Marie Presley is an American singer and songwriter, also known as the "Princess of Rock and Roll". She is the only child of Elvis Presley, and daughter of Priscilla Presley.-Early life:...
and fellow Canadians Sass Jordan
Sass Jordan
Sarah "Sass" Jordan is a Canadian, Juno Award winning, rock singer/songwriter who grew up in Montreal.- Biography :...
, Jann Arden
Jann Arden
Jann Arden is a Canadian singer-songwriter.-Life and career:Arden was born and raised near Calgary in Springbank, Alberta and attended Springbank Community High School. Her breakthrough came with her critically acclaimed 1993 debut album Time for Mercy and her first single "I Would Die For You"...
and Alannah Myles
Alannah Myles
Alannah Myles is a Canadian singer-songwriter, the daughter of Canadian broadcast pioneer William Douglas Byles. In 1989, she released her eponymous debut album...
, whom she just might have been trying to be in her first band The Mixx who supported local Canadian groups Helix and Big House.
One of her biggest influences she credits is the 1988 movie "Satisfaction" starring Justine Bateman
Justine Bateman
Justine Tanya Bateman is an American actress, writer, and producer. She is best known for her regular role as Mallory Keaton on the sitcom Family Ties...
and Liam Neeson
Liam Neeson
Liam John Neeson, OBE is an Irish actor who has been nominated for an Oscar, a BAFTA and three Golden Globe Awards.He has starred in a number of notable roles including Oskar Schindler in Schindler's List, Michael Collins in Michael Collins, Peyton Westlake in Darkman, Jean Valjean in Les...
, and the lead guitarist in the film who played Billy, Britta Phillips
Britta Phillips
Britta Phillips is an American musician, songwriter, actress and voice actor. She is best known as the singing voice of the title character of Jem and as one half of the duo Dean and Britta, with her husband Dean Wareham...
In 1995 Brooks quit The Mixx to concentrate on writing songs, before returning to performing live with She Says So, a name she says she made up herself, that group never lasted and were soon disbanded.
"Fill Me Up", her debut CD was released in 2005, she co produced the album with good friend Kathy Luckhardt, while playing guitar (on most tracks) bass guitar and drums. The album took almost a year to record. Links to the CD were put on the internet in a bid to generate some interest; Jordismusic.com was one site that she received some response from, another was from the Melissa Etheridge Information Network, where she learnt from one of the network's members about an all women internet radio station called NTG Radio. NTG was named after Melissa's 1995 song, "Nowhere to Go". After some meetings with the station owners of NTG, Charmaine became a part of the NTG family. NTG evolved into WomenRock Radio in late 2006.
Since 2005, she has hosted her own interview show called Doing Time, in which she has interviewed female artists like Britta Phillips (her first interview), Alannah Myles
Alannah Myles
Alannah Myles is a Canadian singer-songwriter, the daughter of Canadian broadcast pioneer William Douglas Byles. In 1989, she released her eponymous debut album...
, Sophie B Hawkins, Taylor Dayne
Taylor Dayne
Taylor Dayne was born Leslie Wunderman on March 7, 1962 before later adopting her current stage name. She is an American pop vocalist, songwriter, and dance artist. Overall, she has had eighteen individual hit songs reach the top ten in Billboard magazine...
, Suzi Quatro
Suzi Quatro
Susan Kay "Suzi" Quatro is an American singer-songwriter, bass player, and actor.She scored a string of hit singles in the 1970s that found greater success in Europe and Australia than in her homeland, and had a recurring role on the popular American sitcom Happy Days.-Music:Quatro began her...
, Dilana, Storm Large
Storm Large
Storm Large is a singer best known as a contestant on the CBS reality television show Rock Star: Supernova.-Personal life:...
and fellow Canadian Sass Jordan
Sass Jordan
Sarah "Sass" Jordan is a Canadian, Juno Award winning, rock singer/songwriter who grew up in Montreal.- Biography :...
to name just a few. Her unique one on one interview style highlights not only the artist and their music but also the character that is Charmaine Brooks, funny, flirtatious and very contagious.
In 2007, Charmaine interviewed rocker Melissa Etheridge about her cd "The Awakening". You can hear the full interview at *http://www.charmainebrooks.com/interviews.htm
Charmaine's show, "Doing Time", is featured on www.womenrockradio.com
Track listing
- Please Don't Go
- Time Like This
- Fly Away
- How Can I Say Goodbye
- To Be in Love
- Everybody's Gone
- Cry in The Dark
- Broken Promises
- Black Jaguar
- I Still Love You
- You Deserve So Much Better
- Fill Me Up