HOME      EXCLUSIVES    FEATURES    MOVIES    REVIEWS    CONTESTS    TALK TO US    SUBSCRIBE  Look: Lillith Fair meets Vanity Fair. Sound: Piano, guitar and vocals come together in a sweet, soothing mix. All About: Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Keri Noble grew up in song-rich Detroit. Like many great singers Noble got her vocals start in the church choir. She also took piano lessons, but didn’t get exposed to secular music in the pop/rock vein until she was in high school. It was then that her friends got her listening to Detroit radio stations spinning urban, R&B and hip-hop hits. Says Keri, “My father, who was raised in a jungle in Peru is the pastor of a Spanish-speaking church. There were all these influences I was exposed to, many of which came from the black community. The whole idea of rock bands came to me much later. In fact, they only surfaced when I discovered singer-songwriter music.” But it was Joni Mitchell’s classic album Blue that inspired Noble to ponder her own future. Soon she realized that like Mitchell she could find an outlet in music to speak her mind and express her emotions. At school, Noble introduced a poetic element into her journal entries that then formed the basis for song lyrics. As the songs began to flow, Noble quit college and set out to pursue a musical career. “I waited tables and kept writing,” she says. “At one point, people who heard me playing at home encouraged me to play at the local coffeehouse.” That period proved to be crucial to Noble’s development as a performer. Life began to make sense. She was following her passion. And she wouldn’t stop till she got what she wanted. “I was determined to express myself. I played three times a week, mostly in coffeehouses that sat about 80 people. It was just me and my Roland keyboard with my portable sound system.” Now it’s Keri, her music and a fast growing legion of fans. Keep an eye on this one. Top Track: Piece Of My Heart Album: Fearless is a collection of heartfelt pop songs ranging from ardent balladry to up-tempo buoyancy, all of which is sparked by Noble’s soulful raspy vocals. Noble plays the piano elegantly but also rocks. Noble notes, “My album is a coming of age, a dawning of understanding that so much is out there, that it’s OK to talk about how you feel.” Fun Fact: Keri loves going to the movies alone and thinks it’s a bit odd. You can read the complete special feature in the June 2004 issue of The Record Music Magazine available at your local newsagent. ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: The Record has been around since 1998. Do you have every issue of your favourite magazine? to order back issues Would you like to have your favourite music magazine delivered directly to your doorstep? Website: Thrillpill Design © THE RECORD MUSIC MAGAZINE. All Rights Reserved.