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Sharon Marie Cline

Hailing from Jacksonville, Florida, Sharon Cline is an extraordinary young vocalist who brings a unique & distinguished sense of jazz history to her song stylings. Her brilliant interpretations of standards, show tunes, and classic jazz ballads leave a lasting impression on her listeners that is truly unforgettable! She is exciting, sexy, fun and mesmerizing. Her style is reminiscent of a time gone by, yet is distinctively contemporary. Growing up in the South, with a very musical family, Sharon was influenced by the great torch singers she heard playing on her mother’s phonograph. All throughout the day, the sounds of Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Nancy Wilson, Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole resounded throughout the house. Sharon fell in love with the romantic melodies and lush harmonies of American music. She wanted, most of all, to become a great interpreter of the tender & dreamy lyrics of composers like Gershwin, Porter, and Kern. From her first experience singing in front of a live audience, Sharon knew that music was to be her life. At the tender age of twelve years old, she appeared as “Little Bo Peep” in her grammar school production of Babes in Toyland. The rave reviews of her family and friends were unanimous. She was sensational! From that moment on, Sharon devoted her time to pursuing her dream. She studied privately with some of the best vocal coaches in Florida, and became involved in musical theatre productions in the Jacksonville area, such as The King & I, Westside Story, South Pacific, carousel, Showboat, Ain’t Misbehavin’, The Wiz, and Hair. Her first real break as a jazz vocalist came when she was given the opportunity to sing with the Jacksonville Pops Orchestra at the age of sixteen. This appearance led to a series of concerts where Sharon and the Orchestra were featured at schools throughout northeast Florida. While studying music and theatre at the University of Florida, Sharon continued to broaden her horizons as a performer with appearances as the featured vocalist in revues that focused on the music of composers such as George Gershwin, Jule Styne, Cole Porter, and Irving Berlin. After entertaining throughout the southeast, Sharon felt the need to “go west” and relocated to Los Angeles where she continues to be a sought after headlining performer at some of the most elegant rooms in Tinseltown, such as the Atlas Supper Club, Lunaria Jazz Lounge, Spazio, Chasen’s the legendary Cinegrill, Monsoon, The Beverly Hills Hotel, Merv Griffin’s Beverly Hilton Hotel, The Jonathan Club and many others.

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Interview

Interview: Sharon Marie Cline

Interview: Sharon Marie Cline

Source: Eric Taylor

Q: How were you introduced to jazz and blues? A: I grew up listening to classic music. My mother would play records all day, every day on the phonograph while we did our chores. I'd listen to Ella, Sarah, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Wilson, The Duke, and Nat King Cole filling the house with amazing melodies and rhythms, and I'd imagine myself singing their songs on stage while I dusted the living room or whatever my chore was that day. Q: ...

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