Gina Haley
Encyclopedia
Linda Georgina Haley (born April 23, 1975 in Mexico
) is an American
singer-songwriter.
Haley is the youngest child of rock and roll
pioneer Bill Haley
from his marriage to his last wife Martha; she grew up in Harlingen
and she was only five years old when her father died in 1981. At 18 years old she left home and set out to find her musical identity which landed her in Houston, Tx.
She is classically trained on piano and an accomplished self-taught guitarist and songwriter. During the mid-1990s she left Houston and moved to Los Angeles.
She managed to catch the eye of producer Michael Sembello
, and worked closely with him writing, recording and arranging tracks which appeared in television and movies. Gina also worked closely with songwriter Richard Rudolph
and published songs through Music Sales Group. Her first self-titled album was released in Japan
in 1999 Heat Wave
.
During these years in Los Angeles she sang with the world music group called The Bridge whose members included Edu Falcao, Daniel Jobim, Paulinho Da Costa
, Vincent Colaiuta and Michael Sembello
.
Gina later formed her own group, the Gina Haley Band and continues to work in the musical field in her home state of Texas
.
On July 6, 2005, she performed with her father's old band, The Comets at the Viper Room
in West Hollywood as part of 50th anniversary celebrations of her father's famous song "Rock Around the Clock
" reaching the No. 1 position on American sales charts, as well as what would have been Bill Haley's 80th birthday.
In June 2008, the Gina Haley Band performed at the Bill Haley induction to the South Texas Music Walk of Fame in Corpus Christi, TX.] Other inductees included Chelo Silva, Pat Grogan, Joe Gallardo, Max Stalling
, and The Reverend Horton Heat
.
Meeting Jim Heath a.k.a. Reverend Horton Heat, was an important event in Gina's life. Jim had not intended to perform at the induction ceremony as his band had not traveled with him but decided to dedicate a Bill Haley song to Gina, a song that inspired him to become a musician. That song was "Rock the Joint". After years of contemplating making a rockabilly album Gina had finally decided that it was time to carry on her father's legacy. A year later she sang "Rock the Joint" with Reverend Horton Heat at a concert in Dallas, TX. She is now preparing a rockabilly show that is due to start next March 2011 in the UK with an album to follow.
She continues to perform in Texas with the Gina Haley Band, aka GHB in her original alternative country sound.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter.
Haley is the youngest child of rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
pioneer Bill Haley
Bill Haley
Bill Haley was one of the first American rock and roll musicians. He is credited by many with first popularizing this form of music in the early 1950s with his group Bill Haley & His Comets and their hit song "Rock Around the Clock".-Early life and career:...
from his marriage to his last wife Martha; she grew up in Harlingen
Harlingen, Texas
Harlingen is a city in Cameron County in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas, United States, about from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The city covers more than , and is the second largest city in Cameron County and the sixth largest in the Rio Grande Valley...
and she was only five years old when her father died in 1981. At 18 years old she left home and set out to find her musical identity which landed her in Houston, Tx.
She is classically trained on piano and an accomplished self-taught guitarist and songwriter. During the mid-1990s she left Houston and moved to Los Angeles.
She managed to catch the eye of producer Michael Sembello
Michael Sembello
Michael Sembello is an American musician and songwriter from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Career:Sembello was born and raised in Philadelphia. He studied with jazz great Pat Martino and began his career as a professional musician by becoming a session musician, working increasingly with...
, and worked closely with him writing, recording and arranging tracks which appeared in television and movies. Gina also worked closely with songwriter Richard Rudolph
Richard Rudolph
Richard "Dick" Rudolph is an American composer, guitarist, musician, songwriter, and producer. He was the husband of late soul singer icon Minnie Riperton, and he co-wrote many of her songs including her hits "Lovin' You" and "Memory Lane" . He produced Teena Marie's second album, Lady T...
and published songs through Music Sales Group. Her first self-titled album was released in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 1999 Heat Wave
Heat wave
A heat wave is a prolonged period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity. There is no universal definition of a heat wave; the term is relative to the usual weather in the area...
.
During these years in Los Angeles she sang with the world music group called The Bridge whose members included Edu Falcao, Daniel Jobim, Paulinho Da Costa
Paulinho Da Costa
Paulinho da Costa is a Brazilian percussionist born in Rio de Janeiro, considered one of the most recorded musicians of modern times. Playing over two hundred percussion instruments, he has participated in thousands of recording sessions, Grammy Award-winning albums, hit songs, soundtracks, radio...
, Vincent Colaiuta and Michael Sembello
Michael Sembello
Michael Sembello is an American musician and songwriter from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Career:Sembello was born and raised in Philadelphia. He studied with jazz great Pat Martino and began his career as a professional musician by becoming a session musician, working increasingly with...
.
Gina later formed her own group, the Gina Haley Band and continues to work in the musical field in her home state of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
On July 6, 2005, she performed with her father's old band, The Comets at the Viper Room
Viper Room
The Viper Room is a nightclub located on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California. It was opened in 1993 and was partly owned by actor Johnny Depp until 2004. The club became known for being a hangout of Hollywood elite, and was the site where actor River Phoenix died of a drug overdose on...
in West Hollywood as part of 50th anniversary celebrations of her father's famous song "Rock Around the Clock
Rock Around the Clock
"Rock Around the Clock" is a 12-bar-blues-based song written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers in 1952. The best-known and most successful rendition was recorded by Bill Haley and His Comets in 1954...
" reaching the No. 1 position on American sales charts, as well as what would have been Bill Haley's 80th birthday.
In June 2008, the Gina Haley Band performed at the Bill Haley induction to the South Texas Music Walk of Fame in Corpus Christi, TX.] Other inductees included Chelo Silva, Pat Grogan, Joe Gallardo, Max Stalling
Max Stalling
Max Stalling is a Texas Country singer/song writer, who had no expectation of ever being in the music business. He was born in Uvalde, TX and raised in Crystal City, TX. After attending kindergarten through high school in Carrizo Springs, TX, Stalling studied at Texas A&M University, where he...
, and The Reverend Horton Heat
The Reverend Horton Heat
The Reverend Horton Heat is the stage name of American musician Jim Heath as well as the name of his Dallas, Texas-based psychobilly trio. Heath is a singer, songwriter and guitarist....
.
Meeting Jim Heath a.k.a. Reverend Horton Heat, was an important event in Gina's life. Jim had not intended to perform at the induction ceremony as his band had not traveled with him but decided to dedicate a Bill Haley song to Gina, a song that inspired him to become a musician. That song was "Rock the Joint". After years of contemplating making a rockabilly album Gina had finally decided that it was time to carry on her father's legacy. A year later she sang "Rock the Joint" with Reverend Horton Heat at a concert in Dallas, TX. She is now preparing a rockabilly show that is due to start next March 2011 in the UK with an album to follow.
She continues to perform in Texas with the Gina Haley Band, aka GHB in her original alternative country sound.