Crystal Taliefero

Crystal Taliefero
Crystal Taliefero
Born 1963
Origin Bourne, Massachusetts, USA
Genres Rock music, rhythm and blues
Occupations Musician
Instruments Percussion, saxophone, harmonica, guitar
Years active 1974 –present
Associated acts Billy Joel, Billy Joel Band
Website crystaltaliefero.com

Crystal Taliefero (born 1963 in Bourne, Massachusetts) is an American multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. Since 1989 she has been a touring and recording member of the Billy Joel Band. She has plans to establish the Taliefero Music Foundation.

Contents

Background

Taliefero was 11 years old when she started performing at local rhythm and blues clubs in and around Northwest Indiana and metropolitan Chicago with the singing group, Black Mist (later renamed Magic Mist).[1] Taliefero attended William A. Wirt High School where she was a top athlete and graduated in 1981. She went on to study music at Indiana University. Taliefero is member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.[2]

Career

John Mellencamp discovered Taliefero performing in a college band called Kilo and convinced her to leave college in 1986 and join his touring band.[2] She was subsequently invited to join the Billy Joel Band in 1989 when Joel put together a new band to record and tour the album Storm Front. She has been with the Joel band ever since.

Aside from Mellencamp and Joel, Taliefero has performed with a wide range of singers, including Faith Hill, Garth Brooks, Joe Cocker, Tina Arena, Bob Seger, Brooks & Dunn, Richie Sambora, Elton John, Enrique Inglesias, Natalie Merchant, Meat Loaf, Michael McDonald and Bruce Springsteen.[1]

In its 2008 article "The 125-Plus People, Places and Things Ruling the Rock & Roll Universe", Rolling Stone magazine declared Taliefero the "Best Secret Weapon".[3]

Instruments in Taliefero's percussion kit include agogô, bongo, cabasa, chimes, conga, cowbell, güiro, hand percussion, jam block, shaker, tambourine, timbales, triangle, whistle and wood block.[4] In addition, Taliefero is quite accomplished on the tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, electric guitar, acoustic guitar and keyboards, and a vocalist in her own right.

Film and book collaborations

Taliefero has contributed narration, compositions and/or music to a range of child-oriented videos and audiobooks though the Weston Woods Studios division of Scholastic Corporation:[4]

  • Lester, Julius;Jackson, Samuel L. (narrator); Taliefero, Crystal(Narrator). John Henry (June 1998 ed.). ISBN 0788200860. 
  • Rappaport, Doreen (2002). Martin's Big Words. Collier, Bryan (illustrator); Duncan, Michael Clarke (narrator); Taliefero, Crystal (music). ISBN 1605149446. 
  • Martin, Bill Jr. (2006). Chicka Chicka 1 2 3. Ehlert, Lois (illustrator); Taliefero, Crystal (narrator). ISBN 0439896290. 
  • Ehlert, Lois (2007). Planting a Rainbow. Taliefero, Crystal (narrator). ISBN 2000003675593. 
  • Ehlert, Lois (2007). Waiting for Wings. Taliefero, Crystal (narrator). ISBN 2000003675067. 
  • Hamanaka, Sheila (2007). All the Colors of the Earth. Taliefero, Crystal (narrator). ISBN 2000003674978. 

Personal life

In 1986, Taliefero suffered a ruptured appendix while touring with Bob Seger. She was hospitalized for several weeks.[5]

Taliefero's goal is to establish the Taliefero Music Foundation that will inspire and shape young upcoming lives in the world of live entertainment.[1] As part of her purpose to inspire young musicians, she visited Central High School in East Chicago, Indiana (her home state) in 2009.[6]

Taliefero was awarded the Indiana University African-American Arts Institute’s Herman C. Hudson Alumni Award.[7]

External links

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Crystal (disambiguation) — Crystal is a form of matter significant in chemistry and mineralogy. Crystal may also refer to: Contents 1 Places 2 Media and entertainment 3 …   Wikipedia

  • Billy Joel — Infobox musical artist Name = Billy Joel Img capt = Billy Joel live on November 7, 2006. Img size = Landscape = Background = solo singer Birth name = William Martin Joel [http://www.billyjoel.com/biography Billy Joel Biography | The Official… …   Wikipedia

  • Bruce Springsteen and the "Other Band" Tour — infobox concert tour concert tour name = Bruce Springsteen and the Other Band Tour 1992 1993 artist = Bruce Springsteen start date = June 15, 1992 end date = June 1, 1993 number of legs = 3 number of shows = 107 last tour = Human Rights Now! Tour …   Wikipedia

  • Billy Joel — en 2009 Nom William Martin Joel Naissance …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Richie Sambora — Infobox musical artist Name = Richie Sambora Img capt = Img size = 250 Landscape = Yes Background = solo singer Birth name = Richard Stephen Sambora Alias = Born = birth date and age|mf=yes|1959|7|11 Perth Amboy, New Jersey, U.S. Instrument =… …   Wikipedia

  • Storm Front (album) — Infobox Album | Name = Storm Front Type = Album Artist = Billy Joel Released = October 1989 Recorded = The Hit Factory Times Square Studio, New York, NY Right Track Recording, New York, NY The Warehouse Studio, Vancouver, British Columbia The… …   Wikipedia

  • Double Dragon (Film, 1994) — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Double Dragon. Double Dragon est un film américain réalisé par James Yukich, sorti en 1994. Sommaire 1 Synopsis 2 Fiche technique …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Double Dragon (film, 1994) — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Double Dragon. Double Dragon est un film américain réalisé par James Yukich, sorti en 1994. Sommaire 1 Synopsis 2 Fiche technique …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Double dragon (film, 1994) — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Double Dragon. Double Dragon est un film américain réalisé par James Yukich, sorti en 1994. Sommaire 1 Synopsis 2 Fiche technique …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Cry (Faith Hill album) — Cry Studio album by Faith Hill Released October 15, 2002 …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”