Tracy Chapman (www.elektra.com/retro/chapman)
"Tracy has to be my all time favorite artist.  She's humble enough to be labeled mysterious, yet whispers in her music not to be labeled at all.  She tells stories through her music in the purest of folk styles, and takes a chance on herself...it's that chance and that honesty that those who like Tracy's music love about her.  I've often thought what one thing I'd say to her if I met her, but the best thing I think you can give a person like Tracy is not hot air and words, but an honest glimmer in your eye as she plays for you...that lets her know that you are thoroughly enjoying her performance, and that you're glad to share the paths of life, if for only a short while."
Melissa Etheridge (www.melissaetheridge.com)
"The first time I went to see Melissa Etheridge in concert, I knew very little about her.  Really all I knew was that she had a couple of songs on the radio, and that I didn't have to pay for the ticket...so I was sold.  By the time I got to the Coliseum, I had become aware of - shall we say - "the crowd".  At first I was a little squirmish, especially considering I was in the Army,  but after getting a couple of sidewalk-hawked tickets, and Melissa's performance, I could care less what was going on anywhere other than the stage.  The show was riveting, and I've been a fan ever since.  At my first ever public performance, an open mic night, I played two of my own songs, and one of hers.  It was great, and the audience of musicians loved it."
The Indigo Girls (www.indigogirls.com)
"Ever since I went to see the Indigo Girls in Norfolk, Virginia, I've been entranced by their ability to harmonize, let loose, and stir the energy of the audience until it feels like something will burst.  The two played without the rest of their band but you never missed anything, and they've been a major inspiration to me.  Their music is sincere and they stand firm for what they believe in.  Whether or not you agree with what they have to say, you  have to agree that they say it beautifully."
The Mike Corrado Band (www.mikecorradoband.com)
"I first heard Mike play with Jeffrey Gaines in December, 2000.  They played a fabulous show, with more energy and emotion in their stylings than I'd seen at most shows I'd attended...and having worked at a local concert venue, I'd seen my share of shows.  About halfway through the show, he introduced a song that he wrote for a dying relative, called "Halfway to Invisible".  The chords struck my heart as he sang this haunting, pleading song.  I thought of my own Aunt, who just that previous month, had passed away after almost a year's struggle with a brain tumor.  I thought of those nights we spent together in her hospital room, and how she struggled to get her tongue to agree with what her mind longed to say.  To this day, I credit Mike and his band with having not only a great sound and great passion, but with having created one of my all-time favorite songs, partnered only by "Masquerade" from "The Phantom of the Opera".

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