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Opry North

Name: Victoria Lynn Shaw

Age: N/A

Birth date: July 13th

Birth place: New York, NY

Home town: Nashville, New York USA

Resides in: Nashville, TN USA

Pets: N/A

Group name: N/A

Instruments played: Piano

Started performing at age: 12

Most memorable performance: N/A

What do you do to relax: Spend time with my daughter, husband and friends.

Finished CD's: 3 -" In Full View", "Victoria Shaw", and "Old Friends New Memories"

Cd's for sale: - "In Full View" released in 1994 by Warner/Reprise (available in cassette only)

"Victoria Shaw" released in 1997 by Warner/Reprise

"Old Friends New Memories" released in 1999 by Taffeta Records

Management: VLS Management

P/O Box 58175

Nashville TN 37205-8175

Ph: (615) 673-7171

Fax: (615) 673-7170

email: vlsmgmt@aol.com

Record Label: Taffeta Records

Website: http://www.victoriashaw.net/

After much reflection and with two critically acclaimed albums under her belt, singer-songwriter Victoria Shaw purposefully changed directions. In a bold career move, Shaw stopped recording for Warner Bros. Records and chose to record an independent record instead. "It was a life long dream of mine to be on a major label, and now I can say I recorded for Warner Brothers," Shaw says. "It was a learning and growing experience, but, when I left Warner, I didn't even look for another label deal. It just didn't appeal to me. I just wanted to write and record music that made me happy. I wanted to make an album without any limits. I didn't even think about what I would do with it when I finished. My goal was to shake up the karma because I wasn't having much fun. Life is too short to not enjoy yourself."

Shaw's songs have been staples on the charts since the early '90s when Garth Brooks hit No. 1 with "The River". She's been a sought-after songwriter ever since, even showing up as a three-time Emmy nominee for "All For the Sake of Love", "This is Our Moment (Love is a Gift)", and "(You Are) Where I Belong", hits on the popular soap opera, As The World Turns. Shaw took home the 1999 Emmy for "This is Our Moment (Love is a Gift)".

Shaw's solo albums, 1994's In Full View, and 1997's Victoria Shaw, took her to another level and introduced legions of loyal fans all over the world to her music.

In 1998, Shaw found success as the writer and executive producer of the hit single, "One Heart at a Time". She recruited her friends Garth Brooks, Michael McDonald, Olivia Newton-John, Neal McCoy, Bryan White, Billy Dean and Faith Hill to sing on the record, and donated the proceeds to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. To date, "One Heart at a Time" has sold over 250,000 copies.

She began her latest creative process at the same time she created a new life. As the baby grew inside her, Shaw reached new heights as a singer and songwriter. The result, Old Friends, New Memories is a solid collection of Shaw's biggest hits and original new tunes, which showcase the singer's rich vocal style. "This album is more organic and more honest because I was the only one making the decisions," Shaw explains. "I'm proud of my other albums, but, when you have a committee, there are always going to be a few things you wish you didn't have to do. On this album, I was the committee."

For Old Friends, New Memories Shaw called on one old friend to take care of the album's production. "I bumped into my friend Jon Vezner, who I've written with many times. Jon and I also did some demos together," Shaw recalls. "Whenever I'd walk out of his studio with a demo in hand, I always thought it sounded more like I do 'live' than any other recordings. Jon and I were having lunch and I was telling him about my project. He said, 'I'd love to work with you.' It was cosmic. I guess that's why I bumped into him at that moment on that day. He offered to produce the record and I took him up on it right away. Jon, who is a Grammy-winning songwriter, is an incredibly talented and generous producer. We worked so well together. It was the most fulfilling creative process I've ever experienced."

Fans all over the world will recognize Shaw's No. 1 hits "The River", "She's Every Woman", ACM Award winner "I Love the Way You Love Me" and "Too Busy Being In Love". "I couldn't do an album without recording 'The River'," Shaw says. "It was my first No. 1 song one of my favourites that I've written with Garth. On this album, I did it my own way with a different feel. It's a very special song to me and it seems to be a very special song everyone else. I get a lot of comments from people about how that song has touched them and helped them through some hard times."

"She's Every Woman" also hit the top of the charts for Garth Brooks. "One of the nice things about having no restrictions is that I could put this song on my album as it is. It's not called 'He's Every Man', and I didn't want to change the lyrics. I love this song and I wanted to record it the way it is."

Shaw wrote "I Love the Way You Love Me" for her husband and sang it at the wedding. "Of course, I never knew when I wrote the song it was going to explode like it did," Shaw says with a smile. "John Michael Montgomery took this song to No. 1 and I won an ACM award for it. The song has special meaning for me in many ways. I did a real stripped down version of it for this album. I wanted it to be intimate and romantic and pure." "I Love the Way You Love Me" has found another life as huge pop hit in Europe for the multi-platinum group, Boy Zone.

Shaw wrote "Too Busy Being in Love" with Gary Burr. Doug Stone's version soared to No. 1 in 1993. "I did this song very organic," Shaw explains. "It's just piano, acoustic guitar and strings. I just wanted the harmonies and vocals to shine through."

With total creative freedom at her fingertips, the New York native took some chances with new material. Those chances paid off. She wrote "That's How Much I Love You" with Rockappella founder Sean Altman. "I was playing at the Bottom Line in New York and after the show this guys pokes his head in the dressing room I was sharing with Susan Werner and says, 'I really enjoyed you, can I give you my CD.' I don't take a lot of unsolicited material but Susan took it right away so I would have felt like an idiot if I didn't take it," Shaw says. "When I got back to Nashville I was unpacking and found his CD so I put it on and it blew my mind! It's so awesome. It's mostly a cappella - but hip a cappella. I'd never heard anything like it. So I called Sean and told him I wanted to meet him. We wrote this song together and I love it. It's a fun, light song. He helped me do all the parts except he sang bass, and Jeff Thacher, also of Rockappella, did the mouth percussion. It was a fascinating experience."

Shaw revisited some of her favourite collaborations with other writers for Old Friends, New Memories. "I wrote 'The Man Who Lived Here' with Gary Burr. I always loved it and never knew where it would end up. This is one of the few story songs I've ever written. It's really a universal theme that's timeless. So many women have been in relationships with men that they shouldn't be in, but they only see what they want to see. We just set this scene 100 years ago and I actually see this spaghetti western movie in my head when I sing it. Suzy Bogguss sang harmony and her voice was perfect for it."

Shaw also chose to record a song she wrote solo, and another one she had no part it at all. "I wrote 'Crying Time' by myself and I think it's a real 'girl' song," Shaw says. "I think all women can relate to: 'Just let me cry, I'll be fine.' It's okay if I cry. I'm going to feel so much better. It's like, just let me get this out and don't tell me I shouldn't. I had just gotten a new keyboard that gave me drum sounds and that really helped to give me a good beat. I didn't write 'Tripped', although I would have given anything to have written it," Shaw says. "I think it sounds like something I'd write. I'm so thrilled I found this song. I just had to do it. It's one of my favourites."

Old or new, self penned or collaboration, all of the songs on Old Friends, New Memories showcase Shaw's growth as a writer and an artist. "I never stopped believing in myself," Shaw states emphatically. "In my life as a songwriter and entertainer I have a lot of people that come up to me and ask, 'How do you do this?' I tell them that there isn't one path. You have to chart your own coarse and each one is going to be unique. My river is not your river. You have to get on your boat and start paddling, keeping your eyes open to recognizing the opportunities and possibilities. You have to find your own way. Never give up. It's difficult and challenging but it beats a real job."

When we had the opportunity this year to attend Fan Fair for the first time we knew that we would get to see the largest variety of talent that country music has to offer. And we weren't wrong, but we had the chance to meet some gems we didn't expect too run into also, like Victoria Shaw. As we wandered through the buildings housing the fan club/artist booths we could see the mobs converged around the booths of artists like Wynonna, Brooks & Dunn and Alan Jackson and we could see those that had just as much to offer but had no such mob, so that's where we gravitated to. With just a few fans around it was easier to speak to the artist and find out something about them or see what they'd accomplished or what plans they had in the works and I found it much more enjoyable than being jostled by hundreds of people and not speaking to the artists at all. So, when I spotted a lovely lady with a radiant smile and an interesting looking booth (with just a few fans) I headed in that direction. I introduced myself and explained a little about what we were trying to do, and for what reasons, and I was rewarded with another of those smiles. She graciously agreed to look at the information I passed to her and indicated she'd be interested in learning more about it, and I thanked her and went on my way.

During the last few weeks of September we were very surprised to find a parcel from Nashville waiting for us and even more surprised to find it was from that very same lady. And were we in for a treat. Victoria Shaw is someone who is remarkable, not only for her incredible songwriting talent and addictive vocal abilities but because she has the conviction to stay true to what she wants and goes against the grain to get there. She will follow her heart to where she knows the grass will be greener, even though she knows the work it will take to keep it that way. Courage, determination and the ability to succeed. That's what she has in abundance. She's also extremely candid and upfront about what she wants and why she's taken the steps she's taken. If ever a young girl were looking for a role model in music it should be Victoria Shaw, that much I am convinced of; they couldn't do much better.

Victoria sent us two copies of her CD "Old Friends, New Memories" and we are most grateful to her for that - it would be so hard to give it up for the CD draw if we only had one. As you listen to it for the first time you are struck most by her voice; strong, clear and very appealing. As you listen over and over you start to appreciate the songs, they are beautifully written and there's something to appeal to everyone's taste. For those who love deep, thoughtful songs about the dynamics of relationships there's some for you. For those who like bouncy, whimsical, fun types of songs you're taken care of too. And there are the legendary songs made famous by some of her friends and presented in Victoria's own style, just as well done as the 'other' versions but a little different. It became one of my favourites over the course of one weekend and one member of our team is positively addicted to the song "Waikiki Cowboy". You really must try to pick up a copy of this CD from Victoria's website or enter our contest this month and win a signed copy - I'd enter myself if I didn't already have one.

As I tried to find out more about her for this profile I visited her website and it's really informative, giving you reams of info that you won't be expecting. Not only does this lady have an incredible past in the music industry but she's so versatile in every type of medium that I was impressed with each new discovery. If you've read the above biography you know that she left behind a record company to start her own and recorded her own project the way she wanted it to be. She also performs, has many dedicated fans because once you've heard her you'll want to hear more, and has fun with her friends as shown by the interviews she has up on her website. I looked at them and they are really something, this lady could have her own 1/2 hour show and have no problem with it. And she has married and started a family on top of all that. Talk about a complete life!

I have deliberately avoided telling you all there is to find out about Victoria because I want you to learn about her on your own. You will be as impressed and awestruck as I was, and I do a lot of research in the business that I am in. I know that you will be drawn to her, that you will appreciate her efforts and talents and she will have new fans afterwards. Because she's won us over and it's due to her talent and accomplishments yes but, also because she is a perfect example of the type of spirit we have set out to promote. That fly-in-the-face-of-convention spirit that has made every person who had been told "You can't do that" go their own way and succeed. That is what we support - probably because we're that way ourselves and we know the work, the time and the determination it takes to go against the flow. Victoria Shaw is one person who not only deserves the success she's had so far but she has demonstrated that she'll be the future too. And it's about time.

Opry North would like to thank Victoria Shaw and Robert Locknar for their help with this profile and for the wonderful gift of the CD - it will always be appreciated. We'll do our best to spread your sound up here in Canada too because there can never be enough independent artists who succeed in our opinion. You'll always have our best wishes.

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