This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, July 15, 2010 - HOME: I was born in St. Louis, travelled to Nashville and Las Vegas during my music career, but now make my home again in St. Louis.
INSTRUMENT: Vocalist, pianist.
HOBBIES: I like to collect original paintings by artists who are not really well known ... just art that really strikes me when I see it. I love to snow ski in the Rockies, but don't get much chance to do that. I also love going to the Gulf coast of Florida when I can ... and hope the oil spill gets contained and cleanup can happen soon!
LAST CONCERT ATTENDED: Dianne Reeves. She is definitely one of my very favorite female singers.
LATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: Surviving my recent move to a new home and the process of redecorating it and making it feel like a real home for me.
WHY I DO WHAT I DO: I absolutely love entertaining people and sharing the gift that God gave me! I believe that music is medicine for a lot of us -- including myself. Music helps us escape from stress and reconnect with what's really important and essential in our lives.
QUOTE: One of my favorites is: "To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children ... to leave the world a better place ... to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." Ralph Waldo Emerson
PROFILE: St. Louis native Anita Rosamond got her musical start recording, singing and playing the piano for her older brother's band when she was in her early teens. She has since turned into a Midwestern favorite as a vocalist and performer, recording five of her own projects including her earliest album "Timeless," the critically acclaimed "This is Christmas" and "Keep Lifting Me Higher- LIVE!". In her most recent album, "Someone to Watch Over Me: The Backstoppers Project," 100 percent of the proceeds went to Backstoppers, the organization that supports the families of police officers, firefighters and emergency service personnel who have lost their lives. An international performer, Rosamond recent projects include performing for The Smooth Jazz Cruise in the Caribbean in January 2010.
HEAR HER LIVE:
Anita Rosamond is playing from 7-9 p.m. Thursday, July 15, at the Bluebird Park Series in Ellisville. She will perform at the Lafayette Park Concert Series from 6-8 p.m. July 31 and at Oak Knoll Park in Clayton from 5-7 p.m. Sept. 23. All these concerts are free.
Check out www.anitarosamond.com for her complete schedule and to hear samples of her adult contemporary sound.
Lauren Weber, a student at Georgetown University, is a Beacon intern.