Artists:Natalie Merchant

Natalie Merchant was born in 1963, in Jamestown, New York. She was extremely successful at school, and her parents decided they needed to nurture a young Natalie's artistic side by purchasing a piano for the home. Almost instantly Natalie established herself as a true natural on the instrument, and piano lessons followed soon after. Natalie would often pretend to be reading music, as she was playing all of the pieces by ear. Merchant began her recording career in 1981 as the lead vocalist and lyricist with the folk art rock pop band 10,000 MANIACS, making six albums with the group. Her thought provoking lyricism has earned her comparisons to figures more literary than musical...she has been called "the Emily Dickinson of Pop". Her reputation as a songwriter of quality and her sweet, distinctive voice have long captivated a loyal audience. While she has always valued her privacy, she remains as approachable as anyone, probably because the small-town girl behind the piano still resides inside of her. read more .