Vonda Shepard of ‘Ally McBeal’ fame to play at the Apex
A soulful, passionate musician who deftly blends soaring vocals with formidable piano skills, Vonda Shepard (pictured above) is to perform in Bury St Edmunds later this month.
Vonda first shot to fame through her long running appearances, performances and musical accompaniment on the hit US TV show “Ally McBeal”.
The theme song “Searching My Soul” reached the Top 10 in the UK and Vonda released a series of “Ally”-inspired albums, which went on to sell a staggering 12 million copies worldwide.
Vonda’s shows include her band – James Ralston on guitar (who has performed with Tina Turner), Jim Hanson on bass (performed with Bruce Springsteen and Johnny Cash) and Fritz Lewak on drums.
Vonda says: “I play intimate songs at the piano and get completely lost in them, then build the show by fusing with the band to get the sparks flying.”
The evening will include popular songs, such as “Tell Him”, “I Only Want To Be With You”, “Proud Mary” and “You Belong To Me”, along with the “Best Of” from Vonda’s 15 albums, and the favorites from Ally McBeal.
Vonda says of her recent visits to the country: “I had so much fun performing for my fans in the UK, it’s been a joy to reconnect with everyone and I can’t wait to come back and see everyone again.”
She was born in 1963 in New York City to an intellectual, artistic family. She began playing the piano at age six, began writing songs at eight, and played her first club at 14.
As a child, Vonda had wanted to be an astrophysicist, but after her first music gig, she never looked back (but she still looked up!). Between 1985 and 1996, Vonda toured as a backup singer and keyboardist for Rickie Lee Jones, Al Jarreau and Jackson Browne, opening for Browne during his 1996 tour.
In 1997, Vonda was cast on the wildly popular “Ally McBeal” show. She portrayed the resident performer in the bar where the characters would go at the end of each show.
Along with the hit theme song, “Searchin’ My Soul”, Vonda produced over 500 songs for the series. She has won two Golden Globes, two Emmys, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. And to this day, Vonda holds the Billboard record for selling the most television soundtracks in history.
Vonda’s recent album, “Red Light, Green Light” was produced by her husband Mitchell Froom (Crowded House, Elvis Costello, Fleetwood Mac) and is a reflection on being a parent, on the pandemic and excavating deep emotions from past relationships.
“The album was written and recorded during the height of the pandemic,” Vonda reveals. “It took a massive amount of discipline to go through this process, but the isolation actually lent itself to going deep into the writing. It’s truly a gift to work with Mitchell Froom. He is a brilliant musician, composer, arranger, and producer. Working with him is like playing with a genius chess player. He makes one move, and the whole game falls into place.”
Vonda Shepard is at The Apex on Friday, October 18, at 7.30pm.
See www.theapex.co.uk or ring 01284 758000 for tickets. Or visit The Apex box office in Charter Square Bury St Edmunds.