Hope Waits

Hope Waits possesses that rare talent that is born of challenge, pain, and heart. Her story eerily parallels those of many of the great soul and blues singers whose essence she reflects. Hope grew up in the Deep South - Monroe, Louisiana to be exact. She was the 7th of 12 children born to an alcoholic father and spent her childhood moving from place to place, often with no food for Hope and her siblings.

She grew up singing in church and was discouraged by her overprotective mother. Her passion stayed locked deep inside during Hope’s teen years. After her mother was murdered, Hope - at age 21 - began to explore her birthright and also began to sing again.

Chance brought Hope into Chessvolt Studios in the spring of 2006. Producer Peter Malick heard Hope sing and immediately recognized the timeless voice that filled the control room. Together with his partner Douglass Grossman, Hope was signed to Radarproof Records. Her debut self-titled CD was produced by Malick at Chessvolt Studios.

“We wanted to honor a rich heritage of blues and soul without becoming a slave to it,” says producer Malick about the sessions. “Hope’s interpretation of Ray Charles’ ‘Drown in My Own Tears’ is simply stunning,” adds Malick. “Simple is the operative word here; we didn't want it to sound new in any way. Hope has the ability to get inside a song and make it her own. The only other time I have experienced such artistry was in recording Norah Jones’ ‘New York City’ tracks.”

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