lifeblood: songs: backgrounds: didn't they know the people

1992-05: rites of passage tour program:

emily:

i was born in yale new haven hospital on july 22, 1963.

as a kid, i listened to peter, paul & mary, peter & the wolf, the kingston trio, and the jackson five. one day, when i was in the third grade, ymca flyers were passed out offering, among other activities, guitar lessons. i bought my first guitar for $24. i wanted one with a purple velvet back, but my mom said maybe a normal guitar was better.

i started writing songs when i got my guitar. the first song was called "didn't they know the people" - it was awful and meant nothing, but i kept writing anyway. my first professional gig was when i was 14, living in minnesota. i played and sang for a local democratic convention. i tried to get a gig at a steak restaurant, but it never panned out.

i guess my biggest solo success came when i won "most talented" at the miss shamrock high school contest. back then, it was like winning a grammy. then, amy and i became friends, i switched from classical to steel strings, and the acoustic world of rock 'n' roll lay ahead.