Bonnie Bishop

Bonnie Bishop grew up in suburban Houston, Texas, the daughter of native Texans who raised her to love the soulful sounds of as Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin, Bob Seger and James Taylor. She trained in opera throughout high school and into college, but graduated from UT Austin with a degree in sociology and a plan to somehow make a living doing music her own way, and she began by making her way across the state playing her original tunes for anyone who would listen and anywhere that she was able to get booked. Now with a couple years experience under her belt, a more finely-tuned focus, and a second much-anticipated album on the horizon, this young singer is poised to make a huge impact in Texas and beyond.

In the two and a half years that the Bonnie Bishop Band has been together, they have shared bills and stages with artists such as Jack Ingram, Randy Rogers, Radney Foster and Ray Wylie Hubbard and frequented top venues in the state including Billy Bob’s Texas, Midnight Rodeo and the Mucky Duck in Houston. The
diversity of Bonnie’s songwriting enables her to play venues from dancehalls to rock rooms to dinner theaters, but it is the sheer power of her vocals complimented by the rich dynamics and harmonies of her band that has earned her the most respect in the music community. The music ranges in style from blues and rock to more rootsy country, and Bonnie can wail in true Janis Joplin fashion just as effectively as she can deliver a ballad with heartache and sensitivity. The band in turn reflects its lead singer’s versatility, easily transitioning from the powerful percussion-driven numbers to songs with a more ethereal sound, with only guitar acting as the lead instrument. Another unique thing about Bonnie’s music and her continued presence in Texas music is that she is one of very few female artists to succeed and be so widely accepted by both artists and fans in this market, which most promoters and club owners would attribute to the fact that her full-band show is just as energetic and “rockin’” as any of the bands. In addition to band shows, Bonnie and guitarist Rob Albertson truly shine in their acoustic show as well, where the stripped down setting allows the audience to better appreciate the dynamics of her voice.

In 2004 Bonnie’s first full length album “Long Way Home” was released statewide and saw great success with her single “Sweet on the Down Low,” which remained on the Texas Music Chart’s Top 30 for over six months.
Proving to be a dynamic and hard-working businesswoman, Bonnie says she drove over 30,000 miles visiting radio stations alone to personally promote her music and to better understand Texas radio and its fans. The CD received strong reviews from regional magazines and publications and was called “nothing short of great” by long time radio personality Bob Cole of KVET. Now in November, her second album entitled “Soft to the Touch” will hit stores as part of Smith Music Group’s elite list of Texas artists. Her latest single “Something
the Doctor Didn’t Order” debuted on the Texas Music Chart’s top 50 after just three weeks and already reviews are pouring in predicting this album will be the one to push Bonnie to the next level. The single has since climbed to #7 on the Texas Music Charts and #21 on The New Americana Charts. Produced by Walt
Wilkins and Tim Lorsch, the new CD features Bonnie’s band and showcases the more blues and rock side of her music, with guest appearances by both Wilkins and guitar legend David Grissom. The songwriting expands on themes of love and longing with a frankness that is at times heartbreaking and leaves the listener with a sense of transparency between the singer’s life experience and her music. The album’s greatest triumph is that most of the vocals were recorded live in the studio with the band, which gives the record both a raw emotional quality and a sense of genuine cohesiveness between singer and musicians that is not often found on albums today.

Being a songwriter is a title Bonnie says she values the most, as it allows her to be expressive and honest her life and her beliefs. Her writing has developed greatly over the past year as her co -writing credits have grown to include such writers as Walt Wilkins, Liz Rose (“Songs about Rain”), Tim Kreckle, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and David Grissom, all of whom have co-writes on the new album. She gives the credit for her music to God and believes her gifts to be not just a blessing but a responsibility as well. “I love what I do and I want to be the
very best I can be at it, but I constantly have to remind myself that my gifts don’t really belong to me - I have to be wise with what I’ve been given if I really want to make the most of my career and my life.” If wisdom means seeking out the most genuine and authentic path, then Bonnie Bishop just might be on her way to becoming one of the most successful artists of her generation.