Vivian Slade

A native and resident of the Deep South, Vivian Slade is an introspective, sometimes confessional singer/songwriter who became active on the Nashville scene in the 1990s. Slade, who is blessed with an impressive range, is quite unpredictable--depending on the song, she can bring to mind Ani DiFranco's grit, Jewel's sensitivity or Tori Amos' quirky eccentricity. Slade grew up in Jacksonville, FL, where as a pre-adult, she was turned onto jazz by her father but also had a fondness for the 1970s pop-rock of Elton John, Carole King, Heart and others. After high school, Slade studied voice at Mannes College of Music in New York for a semester before moving to Dallas (where she earned a degree in art from Southern Methodist University) and eventually ending up in Nashville. In 1998, Slade released her self-titled debut album on her own Human Art label.