Who Is Tori Amos, Anyway?

Who?

Tori Amos is an Atlantic recording artist; some call her music "alternative" or "modern" (and her songs are listed on those charts) but "adult contemporary" stations play her songs as well. No one-sentence description is adequate, since her songs cover a wide range of styles and emotions, but her songs are emotional, piano-based, with surreal and/or confessional lyrics.

The EctoGuide entry for Tori Amos will give you some more facts and opinions.

Tori inspires in her fans tremendous devotion. It is safe to say that no other recording artist has prompted the creation of as many web pages as Tori has.

Scout around some other Tori pages and you're likely to find audio samples and photos.

What?

Tori has four albums, Little Earthquakes, Under the Pink, Boys for Pele, and now From The Choirgirl Hotel as well.

You may have heard one of her singles on the radio; she's never had a huge hit single, since radio stations don't seem to quite promote her as much as her fans do, but still you may be hearing "Spark" on the radio now, or you may have heard "God" or "Cornflake Girl" from her second album (I think these were her biggest hits in the U.S.); or, you may have heard "Crucify," "Precious Things," "China," "Winter," "Me And A Gun" (a haunting story of a woman being raped, sung a capella; Tori used to perform this song at every one of her concerts, until the current tour), or more recently "Caught A Lite Sneeze," "Talula," "Hey Jupiter," "Professional Widow" or "Blue Skies" (the last two are popular at clubs).

She also received attention for her version of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

She has appeared in the last couple years on Lifetime (in a benefit concert for RAINN), "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "Late Night with David Letterman," "Saturday Night Live," "the Today Show," VH-1's "Crossroads," and MTV's "120 Minutes"; she has made a large number of live radio appearances; and she was recently on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine (and Spin the year before that).

On her albums, Tori:

• sings (her voice has been compared to Kate Bush's, but we're all sick of that comparison; they're different, okay?),
• plays the piano (and harpsichord), and
• writes the lyrics and music (and lately produces the albums as well).

Where?

Tori was born in Newton, North Carolina (near Hickory); after her first musical project, a cheesy '80s synth band called "Y Kant Tori Read" failed, she moved to England, where she now lives.

She has toured all over the world.

When?

August 22, 1963

Myra Ellen Amos is born at 5:35 p.m.

1965

Myra Ellen starts playing the piano.

1966-1967

Myra Ellen starts playing piano scores and writing her own songs.

1968

Myra Ellen wins a scholarship to the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, MD.

1969

Myra Ellen begins training at the Peabody Conservatory; she is the youngest person ever to be admitted.

1979

Myra Ellen (age 16) and her brother Mike write "Baltimore" for the Baltimore Orioles, her first recorded song.

1980

Myra Ellen changes her name to Tori.

1988

Y Kant Tori Read is formed (with Guns'n'Roses drummer Matt Sorum among others) and their first album, Y Kant Tori Read is released. It doesn't do very well.

1991

Little Earthquakes is released. It is received very well.

1994

Under the Pink is released.

January, 1996

Boys for Pele is released.

May, 1998

From The Choirgirl Hotel released.

Why?

No one is sure why. You'll have to read Tori Amos Confessions to find out.