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Gina Sicilia

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Elvira Gina Sicilia (born March 6, 1985, Newtown, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, United States) is an American blues singer. She is the youngest daughter of Giovanni Sicilia, an Italian immigrant, born in the southern Italian regione of Calabria who emigrated to the United States in the 1960s, and Patricia Sicilia, born in Philadelphia. Sicilia has an older brother, David Sicilia, a physicist as well as an accomplished musician, and an older sister, Anne-Marie Sicilia, a math teacher in New Jersey. Sicilia attended the Council Rock School District in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Exposed to music early on by her parents, Sicilia showed a passion for music at a young age. By age 12 she began writing her own songs, and by 16 she had written numerous songs that would later be recorded on her debut album.[citation needed]

In 2007, Sicilia graduated from Temple University with a degree in journalism.[citation needed] During her sophomore year of college, Sicilia began attending the weekly blues jam at Warmdaddy's in Philadelphia. It was there she got her first performing experience and met a large group of local musicians who would help her to record her first demo.

Allow Me To Confess

In 2006 Sicilia recorded her debut album, Allow Me To Confess, which was produced by Dave Gross and consisted of eight original songs. Musicians on the album included harmonica player Dennis Gruenling and Arthur Neilson. The album was released in early 2007 to rave reviews. JazzReview called her "the best blues singer on the music scene today"[1] BluesWax said she was a singer with "...star potential.." [citation needed]

Allow Me To Confess debuted at #10 on the Living Blues Radio chart, and peaked at #3 on XM Radio's Bluesville.[citation needed] A few months after the album's release, Sicilia signed with the VizzTone Label Group. Sicilia was nominated for a 2008 Blues Music Award in the category of 'Best New Artist Debut'. She also performed at the ceremony alongside the blues pianist, David Maxwell.

Hey Sugar

In October 2008, Sicilia released her second album, Hey Sugar, which debuted at #10 on the Living Blues Radio chart and consisted of nine original compositions. Hey Sugar helped to further establish Sicilia as a formidable singer, songwriter, and performer who could easily cross over from Blues to Americana. Sicilia toured the United States extensively in 2008-2009 and in 2011, took part in the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise. There, she performed alongside such artists as Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Joan Osborne, and The Holmes Brothers.

Can't Control Myself

On March 1, 2011, Sicilia released her third studio album, Can't Control Myself, once again produced by Dave Gross.

The album was met by rave reviews. The Boston Globe praised her voice as "Earthy and voluptuous" while About.com said she "delivers a vocal and lyrical performance that rates alongside the titans of early-1960s soul." In March 2011, to promote the new album, Sicilia performed on Philadelphia's NBC "10! Show" and interviewed and performed on BB King's Bluesville, channel 74 on Sirius/XM Radio with DJ Bill Wax. The album debuted at # 11 on the Living Blues Radio Charts on April 1, 2011 and was added to over 150 AAA radio stations in May 2011. In the summer of 2011 Can't Control Myself was included in About.com's list of the "Top Ten Best Blues Album's of 2011...So Far".

In April, 2011, "Gimme a Simple Song", an original song from Can't Control Myself, reached #94 among the over 15 million MP3's available for download on Amazon.com.[citation needed]

It Wasn't Real

On April 30, 2013, Sicilia released her fourth studio album, It Wasn't Real, on the VizzTone label. The CD was produced and engineered by Grammy winning producer Glenn Barratt at Morning Star Studios in Amber, Pennsylvania. The recording contained an array of Philadelphia studio musicians and included nine of Sicilia's original songs, as well as an early 1960s Etta James hit, "Don't Cry Baby"

In regards to Sicilia's vocal and songwriting prowess displayed on the CD, The Philadelphia Inquirer said ""Her smoky alto is a striking instrument, but the way she harnesses its earthy power reflects a maturity that's also found in her frank songwriting. The result is a combination of polished craft and gut-level emotion that is a knockout, and earns Sicilia the right to comparisons between herself and James."[citation needed] In 2013 Sicilia toured in support of the album.

The Alabama Sessions

In 2014 Sicilia traveled to Muscle Shoals, Alabama where she recorded and produced her fifth studio album of all original material, The Alabama Sessions, a 5-song EP. The album was recorded at The NuttHouse Studio and the project was overseen by studio owner Jimmy Nutt. It was released during the summer of 2014 by the VizzTone Label Group along with a music video for one of the album's five original songs, "I'm In Trouble"

Sunset Avenue

In August 2016 Sicilia released her sixth studio album on Blue Elan Records, located in Los Angeles, California. The five-song EP was met with international critical acclaim and received airplay across the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia. The music zine Friday Blues Fix called Sicilia "One of the finest vocalists currently practicing in the Blues Field"

Career

In June, 2011 Sicilia was nominated for a Blues Blast Award in the category of the "Sean Costello Rising Star Award"

In August, 2011 Sicilia released a music video for "Addicted" directed by Saturday Night Live producer, Tanya Ryno

Sicilia has opened for such notable acts as Johnny Winter, Joe Bonamassa, Shemekia Copeland, Beth Hart, and James Cotton.

Sicilia is an artist who actively utilizes social media, and interacts every day with over 60,000 fans through various social networking websites such as Twitter and Facebook.[citation needed]

In June, 2013, Sicilia was asked to perform The National Anthem at NASCAR.

Personal life

From 2005 to 2013 Sicilia was in a relationship with guitarist/producer Dave Gross. Gross is the owner of Fat Rabbit Studios located in New Jersey.

In 2013, Sicilia relocated from Philadelphia to Nashville, Tennessee

References

  1. ^ "JazzReview review of Allow Me to Confess". Jazzreview.com. Retrieved November 13, 2014.[permanent dead link]
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