Rita Wilson performed songs from her debut album “AM/FM” at the legendary Troubadour in Los Angeles, surprising the crowd that is used to watching Wilson on the big screen and not singing on stage.
Among Rita’s supportive fans who turned out to see her perform were Antonio Banderas and wife Melanie Griffith, and one of Rita’s close friends, Greek-American actress/writer Nia Vardalos.
Wilson’s recent start in the music business definitely came as a surprise, but her consistency and dedication have put her on the map as a singer and performer. And yes, she does have a great voice!
Although Greek-American Rita Wilson is well-known as an actress (“It’s Complicated,” “Sleepless in Seattle,” “The Good Wife”) and film producer (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” “Mamma Mia!”), few may be aware that her early showbiz ambitions were actually musical.
Born and raised in the Hollywood Hills (near the Hollywood Bowl), Wilson harbored dreams of becoming a singer in the 60’s and 70’s after falling in love with The Beatles, The Mamas & the Papas, Janis Joplin, and The Supremes, among others. She even took a part-time job as a ticket-taker at what was then the Universal Amphitheatre as a way to see such popular acts of the day as Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, James Taylor, and The Eagles.
“I would watch these artists on stage and ache from wondering, ‘How can I get up there?’ How can I get to do that? ” Wilson recalls. “I had no idea how. I was a first generation American. We didn’t know anyone in the music industry. Acting and modeling kind of happened to me. I went with the flow because the opportunity was terrific and I could make a living, but I thought you had to play an instrument and be able to write songs to be a singer like so many of the ones I admired.”
Wilson has finally achieved her dream with the Decca Records release of her debut album “AM/FM,” an intimate, elegant, and beautifully sung collection of classics from the ’60s and ’70s that, put together, make up the soundtrack to her life. The album will be on sale on May 8.
You can hear Rita’s album on her facebook page and pre-order it on Amazon.
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