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Melanie Massell
Atlanta native Melanie Massell has been charming audiences since childhood with her powerful voice and charisma. After majoring in theater and performing arts (Atlanta’s Northside High School of Performing Arts and Florida State University’s School of Theatre), she began her extensive and successful entertainment career by touring nationally and internationally as a vocalist with bands of many genres. After years of touring Melanie returned to Atlanta where she formed her own personal business entity, MMMusic Entertainment.
As band leader and vocalist, Melanie has consistently delighted audiences at clubs, weddings, special events, festivals and premier hotel venues throughout the Southeast, appearing with combos ranging from duos and trios to eight-piece bands with a horn section. A seasoned, professional vocalist with a broad range and unique interpretive style, she has opened for artists such as Chris Botti and David Sanborn and was a backup singer for Oleta Adams. She has also performed for public figures such as Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, Georgia Governors Roy Barnes and Sonny Perdue, Vice President Al Gore, and Britain’s Princess Anne.
Melanie was chosen to perform for the first official 1996 Atlanta Olympics event (Chefs de Mission) and was booked nightly during the Olympics for private parties. She also provided musical entertainment for Anheuser-Busch corporate clients during Bud Bowl 2000 and performed for the Coca-Cola Atlanta Music Awards at the Fox Theater where she was nominated as “Outstanding Artist” and “Best Jazz Act”.
Perhaps Melanie’s greatest honor was to be selected as Featured Guest Vocalist and perform with the 60-piece Atlanta Concert Band at Atlanta Symphony Hall. She has produced a CD of that event along with several others on which she also recorded her own original material.
Melanie relocated to Southwest Florida (Perico Island) in 2007 and is pleased to say that she has already had engagements at the Sarasota Yacht Club, East Village Cabaret at Lakewood Ranch, TPC Prestancia Golf Club, Village Walk in Palmer Ranch, Mattison’s Steakhouse at the Plaza on Longboat Key, Mattison’s Riverside, Gardens of Sarasota, and the DoubleTree Rocky Point Hotel in Tampa.
She has also been a guest vocalist at The University Club, The Ritz Carlton Sarasota, The Colony, Bacco’s, Mattison’s City Grille, The Haye Loft, Rustic Grill, The Gator Club, Flying Dog Café, Sarasota Convention Center, Bayfront Community Center, Senior Friendship Center in Sarasota, and Harmony House in Venice.
As a product of a family steeped in the civic life of Atlanta, Melanie believes in giving back to the community. She has a standing policy of contributing a portion of her fee when she performs at nonprofit benefits.
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