Lori Yates is a Canadian alternative country music singer and songwriter.

Biography

Early career

Yates' early music career was with Toronto-area bands such as Rang Tango, Senseless and The Last Resorts. Yates was influenced by varied artists including

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...

Tanya Tucker Tanya Denise Tucker (born October 10, 1958) is an American country music singer and songwriter who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13. Over the succeeding decades, Tucker became one of the few child performers to mature int ...

, and Pink Floyd.

Nashville

Yates became a Nashville-based artist on the Columbia Records Nashville label. Her debut album ''Can't Stop the Girl'' was released worldwide in 1989. She was nominated for a Juno Award in 1990 as Best Female Country Vocalist, and was also nominated for a CCMA Award. She toured with such artists as Big Sugar, Steve Earle,

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is an American country rock band formed in 1966. The group has existed in various forms since its founding in Long Beach, California. Between 1976 and 1981, the band performed and recorded as the Dirt Band. Constant ...

and

Dwight Yoakam Dwight David Yoakam (born October 23, 1956) is an American singer-songwriter, actor, and film director. He first achieved mainstream attention in 1986 with the release of his debut album ''Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.''. Yoakam had considerabl ...

. Co-writers during this time included

Guy Clark Guy Charles Clark (November 6, 1941 – May 17, 2016) was an American folk and country singer-songwriter and luthier. He released more than 20 albums, and his songs have been recorded by other artists, including Jerry Jeff Walker, Jimmy Buffet ...

, Don Schlitz and

Matraca Berg Matraca Maria Berg Hanna (; born February 3, 1964, in Nashville, Tennessee) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She has released five albums: three for RCA Records, one for Rising Tide Records and one for Dualtone Records, and ...

. Yates recorded the duet "Brother To Brother" with

Gregg Allman Gregory LeNoir Allman (December 8, 1947 – May 27, 2017) was an American musician, singer and songwriter. He was known for performing in the Allman Brothers Band. Allman grew up with an interest in rhythm and blues music, and the Allman Br ...

for his album ''No Stranger to the Dark: The Best of Gregg Allman'' and on the soundtrack to the

Patrick Swayze Patrick Wayne Swayze (; August 18, 1952 – September 14, 2009) was an American actor, dancer, and singer known for playing distinctive lead roles, particularly romantic, tough, and comedic characters. He was also known for his media image and ...

film '' Next of Kin''. She later signed with

Virgin Music Canada Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

and released her second album ''Breaking Point'' in 1994, a collection of roots, rock and soul.

Rick Danko Richard Clare Danko (December 29, 1943 – December 10, 1999) was a Canadian musician, bassist, songwriter, and singer, best known as a founding member of the Band, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. During ...

( The Band) and

Jim Cuddy James Gordon Cuddy, (born December 2, 1955) is a Canadian singer-songwriter primarily associated with the band Blue Rodeo. Early life and education Cuddy was born in Toronto, Ontario. His Mother Jean Cuddy was an English teacher at Monarch Par ...

( Blue Rodeo) appeared as guest vocalists. She later toured with Blue Rodeo,

Jann Arden Jann Arden (born Jann Arden Anne Richards; March 27, 1962) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and actress. She is famous for her signature ballads, "Could I Be Your Girl" and " Insensitive", which is her biggest hit to date. Early life and educat ...

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and

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. In 1996, Yates released her second Virgin Music Canada album ''Untogether'', a complete musical departure into melodic trip-hop with Toronto's Opium Concepts. The album was recorded at

Metalworks Studios Metalworks Studios is a music recording studio in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1978 by Gil Moore of the Canadian rock group, Triumph. Over a span of 40 years, Metalworks has been the recipient of Canadian Music Week's ...

in Mississauga, Ontario. During this time period, she also contributed vocals to numerous songs for the gothic-oriented sci-fi television show ''

Forever Knight ''Forever Knight'' is a Canadian television series about Nick Knight, an 800-year-old vampire working as a police detective in modern-day Toronto, Ontario. Wracked with guilt for centuries of killing others, he seeks redemption by working as a ho ...

'', eight of which later appeared on the series' two soundtrack volumes.

Present

In 1998, Yates formed Hey Stella! with bassist Bazil Donovan of Blue Rodeo, David Baxter and

Michelle Josef Michelle Josef (born March 21, 1953), formerly Bohdan Hluszko, is a Canadian musician and transgender activist. Under her former name, Josef was already established as one of Canada's leading session drummers, and has continued her career in music ...

. The band remains active following the release of their 1999 self-titled CD. They won ''NOW Magazine'''s "Favourite Band" in 2000. She moved to

Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. Hamilton has a Canada 2016 Census, population of 569,353, and its Census Metropolitan Area, census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington, ...

, with her family in 2002, where she produced the 2007 album ''The Book of Minerva'' with artists such as Bazil Donovan,

Justin Rutledge Justin Rutledge (born January 3, 1979) is a Toronto-based Canadian alternative country singer-songwriter signed to Outside Music. Rutledge's musical style is often compared to that of American alt-country singer Ryan Adams. His influences, both ...

and Tom Wilson. She won "Songwriter of the Year" and Alternative Country Recording of the Year" at the 2007 Hamilton Music Awards on 18 November 2007. She played with late Brian Griffith, (Daniel Lanois, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson), Mike Eastman (Ronnie Hawkins), Jack Pedler (Teenage Head) and many notable Hamilton musicians. She is an original member of power pop/punk band The Eveyln Dicks with Chris Houston (The Forgotten Rebels) and Buckshot Bebee, Jimmy Vapid (The Vapids) and

Cleave Anderson Cleave Anderson is a Canadian punk rock, alt. country, rock, pop, etc drummer. Anderson has played and recorded with several well-known groups, including Blue Rodeo, Battered Wives,Tyranna, Viletones, Sherry Kean, Forgotten Rebels, and the Beat Cl ...

( Battered Wives, Blue Rodeo). Yates is the creator and producer of popular variety shows ''Johnny Cash – The Original Punk'' and ''Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad'' with The Nashville Rejects (Steve Miller, Ted Hawkins) as the back up band. She is the creator and producer of a popular ongoing six-week songwriting workshop combining group work, studio recording and live performance, The Creative Genius Songwriting Workshop. Yates has gained a solid reputation as a photographer with her iPhone. As part of the i-phoneography movement, she shoots under the tag of #crazyates_xoxo. She has had three successful exhibitions: * ''Killer Tomatoes'', Hamilton's Finest Female Vocalists, 2015 * ''Framed'', Hamilton Musicians & Creative Class, photo exhibit, 2014 * ''Disappearing Hamilton'', photo exhibit, 2013 ''Sweetheart of the Valley'' is Lori's seventh studio album. Released late October 2015, it received critical acclaim as Yates' best work yet. Recorded at Knob & Tube Toronto, QED Media and This Ain't Hollywood, Hamilton, she enlisted Hey Stella! (David Baxter, Bazil Donovan, Michelle Josef) as the recording band.from an interview o
Americana Music Show #282
published January 19, 2016 Additional musicians include Steve Wood (pedal steel) and Stephen Miller (guitar). Rita Chiarelli, Terra Lightfoot, and Ginger St. James are among a choir of background vocals.

Grants and awards

* City of Hamilton Arts Award – Established Artist 2014 * Ontario Arts Council – Songwriting Grant, 2014 * Hamilton Spectator People's Choice Awards 2012 – Favourite Female Vocalist, silver * Songwriter of the Year – Hamilton Music Awards 2007 * Alternative Country Recording of the Year – Hamilton Music Awards 2007 for "The Book Of Minerva" * Ontario Arts Council – Recording Grant, 2007 * SOCAN Award for No. 1 song "Usure De Jours" * NOW Magazine "Best Band" Readers Poll – 2000 * Kensington Market Community Awards – Best Female Artist, 1993 * Juno Awards nomination 1990 * Canadian Country Music Association nomination 1990

Discography

Albums

Singles

Rang Tango

* ''Rang Tango'' (1987)

Hey Stella!

*'' Hey Stella!'' (1999)

Guest appearances

* ''The Lucky Ones'' album from

Willie P. Bennett William Patrick "Willie P." Bennett (26 October 1951 – 15 February 2008) was a Canadian folk-music singer-songwriter, harmonica player, and mandolinist. Bennett was part of the 1970s folk music scene in Canada, and wrote and recorded many origin ...

(1989) * ''South at Eight, North at Nine'' album from

Colin Linden Colin Kendall Linden (born 16 April 1960) is a Canadian guitarist, songwriter and record producer. Linden plays acoustic and electric guitar, specializing in slide guitar, country blues, and ragtime fingerpicking. He frequently collaborates with ...

(1993) * ''

Hell's Kitchen Hell's Kitchen, also known as Clinton, is a neighborhood on the West Side of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is considered to be bordered by 34th Street (or 41st Street) to the south, 59th Street to the north, Eighth Avenue to the ea ...

'' album from Leslie Spit Treeo (1994)

Soundtracks

* '' Next of Kin'' (1989) Contributed a duet with

titled "Brother To Brother" * ''

- Original Television Soundtrack'' (1996) Contributed vocals to "The Hunger", "Black Rose", "Touch The Night", "Dark Side of the Glass" and the intro to the ''Queen of Harps'' suite * '' The Hanging Garden'' (1997) Contributed the recording "The Future Is Here" * ''

- More Music from the Original Television Soundtrack'' (1999) Contributed vocals to "The Night Calls My Name", "Heart of Darkness" and "Destiny's Edge"

Compilations and tributes

* '' Borrowed Tunes: A Tribute to Neil Young'' (1994) Contributed a cover of the

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Fur ...

composition Composition or Compositions may refer to: Arts and literature *Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography *Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include v ...

"Helpless" * ''Classic Country, Vol. 5'' (2000) Contributed the recording "Scene of the Crime" * ''No Stranger to the Dark: The Best Of

'' (2002) Features Allman and Yates' duet "Brother To Brother" from the ''Next of Kin'' soundtrack

References

External links

Lori Yates Official Web SiteForever Knight soundtrack information
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yates, Lori Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Canadian women country singers Canadian country songwriters Canadian women guitarists Musicians from Oshawa Columbia Records artists