Born in Toronto, Canada, Amanda Marshall began to show an interest and talent in music that far exceeded many of her peers. Showcasing quite the vocal range at the tender age of only three, her parents were so taken aback with their daughter's talent that they immediately enrolled her in the Toronto Royal Conservatory of Music. It was here that Amanda was first introduced to varying styles of music, and where she began to harness her vocal power through classical training. Yet even as her talent and dedication towards her art impressed both her family and her instructors, Amanda found her interest in classical music was depleting. In search for a new musical genre to satisfy her inner "hunger", a friend of Amanda introduced her to old-school jazz, and she immediately took a liking to it. In fact, of all the artists that Amanda would later site as having given her inspiration in her youth, she would highlight the likes of jazz "queen" Ella Fitzgerald with having had the most influence.

Even with all of her classical training, Amanda did not actively pursue a music career until a chance meeting with a jazz guitarist after a show one fateful evening. Learning of her interest in the genre of jazz, he encouraged her to perform at an "open mike" gig at a local club the next week. Ecstatic but nervous, Amanda agreed. Accompanied by her father, Amanda went to the gig and wowed the audience with her performance. Inspired by the reception she had received at the club, Amanda decided to pursue her interest in music, and quickly began to write songs and form a band. Continuing to perform on the club scene, Amanda eventually attracted some big league attention, and was offered a spot as the opening act for Jeff Healey on his National tour across Canada. This offer was a surprise to many in the industry at the time due to the fact that Amanda had neither a contract nor a record. But the break gave her the exposure she needed, and she subsequently was offered to join Tom Cochrane on his "Life Is A Highway" tour.

The hype generated by her performances on the tours resulted in Amanda receiving many offers for recording contracts. Always the perfectionist, she decided she would wait until she felt her record was complete. This process took near to year, but keeping to her word, she went to Los Angeles to meet with a producer upon its completion. With the help of the producer, she fine-tuned all the kinks within her album, and released it in 1996. Met with critical raves, her self-titled debut received much radio-play, spawning hits including "Let it Rain" and "Birmingham." With multi-platinum sales and much exposure, Amanda had made a huge splash in the industry.

After a much needed break, Amanda released her second album "Tuesday's Child" in 1999. The album was greeted with similar success. Never ceasing to work, Amanda followed the release with an extensive tour.

A combination of both hard work and talent, Amanda Marshall is an artist that exceeds expectation. With so much promise, her unique sound can be best described - as one critic so pointedly put it - as the "love child of Janis Joplin and Joe Cocker."

Written by: JP Larocque and Aaron Lewicki