Biography

Lane Brody

 

Lane Brody has the voice, visage and spirit of an angel and a natural gift for singing and performing. Through a career that has defied easy classification she has consistently succeeded at the highest levels in a variety of contexts, from country to pop to jazz.

With the release of Pieces of Life, Lane has released an album that finally catches the breadth of her musical vision. This masterwork, five years in the making, combines songs written by Lane with material written specifically for her by several songwriting luminaries and reprises her greatest hits, the Oscar nominated Over You and her reconfiguration of The Yellow Rose of Texas to include a woman’s perspective, The Yellow Rose, sung as a duet with Johnny Lee.

Her intense love of singing was established by the time she was five. She wrote her first song at the age of twelve. While still in her teens, she began a highly successful jingle career singing solos for many popular TV and radio commercials like McDonalds, 7Up, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Juicy Fruit Gum to name a few. Amazingly, her incredible voice generated interest worldwide when she became The Voice of the XIV Olympics singing the commercials (“You’ve known us all along”) for Beatrice Foods, who was the main sponsor for the Olympics that year. It was reported that people found themselves listening for Lane and those commercials all during the games. During this time she also landed her first record deal with GRT Records. Her first single release became a #1 record in many country markets.

Her work as an outstanding vocalist continued as she recorded performances for two CBS Movies of the Week. In Country Gold , actress Linda Hamilton lip-synced to Lane’s vocals. In The Gift of Life starring Susan Dey, Lane sang Just a Little More Love which received an Emmy Nomination. But not content with the direction of her burgeoning career, she sought to become a recognized voice and soon after, she leaped on to the country and pop record charts with an Oscar nominated song, Over You from the film Tender Mercies, which brought her a “Top New Female Vocalist” nomination by the Academy of Country Music. Lane is the first female in country, to have an Oscar-nominated hit from a soundtrack album. She had hits with He Burns Me Up, her self penned He’s Taken , as well as the stirring Baby’s Eyes. She co-wrote and sang The Yellow Rose of Texas theme from the NBC series with Johnny Lee, and the record soared to the number one position on the country charts, with a hit music video to match.  As a result, she received her first BMI Most Performed Song of the Year award.

 

 

Lane takes her songwriting as seriously as her singing. Her uncanny creative energy always keeps her exploring new and exciting recording projects. From her own projects to co-writing Anne Murray’s album title song Hottest Night of the Year , she is determined to have a lasting contribution to her field and taking responsibility for the words she writes, like her critically acclaimed song, All the Unsung Heroes that she performs as the title song of a 40 minute video aiding the healing process of Vietnam Veterans and their families. One review says it all:

Emotionally clutching, with captivating camerawork, and a hauntingly beautiful sound track, featuring the crystal voice of LANE BRODY
-THE WASHINGTON POST

 

This documentary won the American Film Festival’s Blue Ribbon Award, and is a respected addition to the Smithsonian Institution, Arlington National Cemetery and at The Vietnam Veterans Memorial (‘The Wall”) in Washington, DC.

 

Lane is a natural for TV and has appeared on numerous shows such as NBC Today Show, Austin City Limits, Crook And Chase as well as guest starring on the Lee Greenwood USO Tour Special for TNN.

Her TV experience doesn’t stop here. She enjoyed working with Danny DeVito and the infamous cast of the legendary show, TAXI. She now holds a place in the history of the show and joins the ranks of other guest stars such as TOM HANKS and TOM SELLECK.

 

She made her dramatic acting debut beside Robert Desiderio in ABC’s Heart of the City , where she played the role of country singer Jenny Jamison, and performed three songs, one being her own Everything But True.

As she performs in concert, audiences often describe how she sends emotional chills with her dynamic range of voice and song. She has literally played all over the world. Where women find her as a genuine friend they can relate to, men find her beautiful, but so genuine that she is refreshingly rare.

Lane has shared the stage with a list of talent that would be truly defined as the “Who’s Who” in country music, but as you can imagine she embraces those moments with those no longer with us such as Dottie West, Tammy Wynette, Grandpa Jones, Eddie Rabbitt, Keith Whitley and Merle Travis.

Today, Lane continues her musical life with the integrity that has become the hallmark of her career. She recently released a CD of the great “standards”, which she recorded under her given name Eléni, (which is Greek for Lane). Some of the titles are, I’ll Be Seeing You, Smile, and I Wish You Love. The CD, entitled Familiar Places has received critical acclaim, one being from the legendary jazz great Louie Bellson who said about her: Lane has a wonderful voice and is reminiscent of the great singers such as, Ella Fitzgerald, Sara Vaughan and Pearl Bailey.

Robert K. Oermann, renowned musicologist and critic writes… She caresses notes with the finesse of Ella Fitzgerald. She reads the lyric with the sweet/sad ache of Billie Holiday. She has the light, deft sense of meter of Sara Vaughan. Most of all, she has what all great jazz singers possess… The ability to get inside chord changes and melodies, become a part of them, and take them around little corners to places they’ve never been. This is much more than just another album of standards… IT’S THE WORK OF A TRUE STYLIST.

Since it’s release, the album has received an incredible three entries for a Grammy: Best Artist, Best Album and Best Jazz Vocal Performance.

Pieces Of Life, her latest, is a gleaming jewel of a recording that finally showcases Lane’s talent in the proper perspective and a collaborative triumph with crucial input from a host of Lane’s musical friends and admirers.

The most amazing thing about all of this, is that these projects are on her own record label, which she named RECORDS RECORDS (© 1998). It was always her dream to have this as an opportunity to do music her way.

Lane’s diversity as a successful vocalist in country music, singing mainstream jazz to recording a duet with Bob Seger (who said to her, “I don’t think of you as a country singer… you’re rock!”), proves she is truly one of those unique talents that sings, writes and performs with integrity.

 

In 2010, Lane had the opportunity to sing with her teenage inspiration Johnny Mathis on his CD, “Let It Be Me (Johnny Mathis In Nashville)” to be released on SONY Records.