Click
to hear a sample of Heather's music.
Heather Alexander Information page
Click
to hear a sample of Heather's music.
Born in the San Francisco Bay Area, Heather Alexander was raised with the customs of the Isles firmly bred into her by her mother and grandmother, both natives of Britain. Her father, a full blooded Missourian and a prominent jazz vocalist/guitarist of the forties began Heather's musical education at the age of six when he started teaching her guitar. By age nine, she was teaching herself to play the violin. She later began composing songs and honed her skills with several years of private study in music, voice and drama. Heather has performed in a broad spectrum of contexts from opera to country music.In 1985, she joined a country and western band as vocalist and lead fiddler, while at the same time finding her niche in Celtic music by playing fiddle for the Irish and Scots dancers at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire. Since that time, her original music has been heavily influenced by the traditions of her roots.
She and three other Faire musicians founded a group in 1987 to perform traditional Irish tunes and Heather's original music, in a semi-electric context. When the group split, she blended her love of Celtic music with her desire to play rock and roll, forming Phoenyx, a Celtic Fusion band, performing original and traditional music with a solid rock and roll sound. They produced an album, Keepers of the Flame, which was released on Heather's own label, Sea Fire Productions early in 1990. Both the album and the band achieved a high degree of local popularity, and their fame began to spread. Sadly, in 1991, Phoenyx broke up due to artistic differences.
Now, Heather performs solo at pubs, coffee houses and festivals from L.A. to Seattle, and with other groups throughout California and Nevada. She has worked with and opened for many notables, including the Bay Area's Tempest, Tommy Makem, the Clancy Brothers, Ed Miller, and Alex Beeton.
She has performed on several albums, either as an instrumentalist, vocalist, composer or arranger. In 1985, she undertook a project with publisher Firebird Arts & Music to create albums based on fantasy novels and short stories. This relationship lasted, on and off, for nearly eight years. In 1994, Heather produced her first solo CD, Wanderlust, with backup from Rob Wullenjohn and Lief Sorbye of Tempest, and concert harpist Jenny Lindner. Released on her independant label, Sea Fire Productions, Wanderlust has been well received across the U.S.
The
Unofficial Heather Alexander "Heathen" Page
