Right Here and Right Now
Those who have had the good fortune to hear Melanie Denard sing and watch her perform understand why her fans refer to her as the ultimate “Sultry Southern Songstress”. This endearing accolade derives from Melanie’s ability to take an ordinary song and “Melanize” it to transform into an extraordinary listening experience. She is the quintessential gorgeous brunette belting it out and seducing the crowd with the exquisite beauty and power of both her voice and her persona. A Melanie Denard performance is an unforgettable experience, whether she is performing a soaring love ballad or setting the place on fire with one of her torrid, red-hot “take no prisoners” southern-blues-rocker songs.

The highly-accomplished professional singer we enjoy today is the result of God-given talent, nurturing parents, outstanding music teachers and coaches, and Melanie’s own drive and her uncompromising standards for musical excellence. Melanie has paid her dues with hundreds of live gigs of all types and sizes, she has excelled in pressure-packed national and international singing competitions, she has honed her voice and her singing style and her performance acumen with the best coaches in the business—in short, Melanie Denard is ready to rumble!

The Formative Years
I started singing at home and in church when I was about 6 years old and don’t plan to ever stop. I grew up listening to inspirational and gospel songs and singing them with my Mother at the piano. She sings beautifully and taught me a lot. There was always music in the house and it was natural for both us to sing along. We were a middle-class working family living in Marietta, GA, a mostly rural suburb of Atlanta, and both parents worked jobs to provide us with the basic things we needed. We had few material luxuries but we had everything we really needed, especially love of God, Family, America, and the South.”

Growing up, I have memories of my Dad picking me up from school in his blue Chevrolet pick-up with the country music playin’ on the radio. Oh, and don’t try to change the station because he would know!! My mom was a piano teacher and an accomplished singer in her day. From her I gained a love all types of music, including pop, country, rock, blues, soul and show tunes. I remember the two of us spending hours at the piano, singin’ songs and havin’ the best time. This is how it was discovered that I had a singing voice. I grew up listening to the great singers such as Reba McIntire, Pat Benatar, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Vince Gill, Lionel Richie and many others. Reba and Vince still amaze me very time I hear them. Martina, Faith, and Dolly also influenced my musical direction. Bonnie Raitt inspired a love in me for singin’ the blues, along with country blues rocker T. Graham Brown.

I attended a “magnet” high school for musically-gifted teens that was very diverse socially, racially, and ethnically. I treasure the enduring friendships I made and the musical influences that I absorbed because of my unique educational experience. It was during this time that my love of the blues and soul and R&B music first blossomed and later mingled with my “country rocker-girl” persona to mold me into the singer that I am today.” Looking back on my life, I realize now that I didn’t choose music, music chose me.