Josie Aiello

Aiello got her start as a performer singing at her family's Sicilian restaurant, Cas and Lou's, in the north side of Chicago, where she worked from the age of nine.[2][3] In 1978, she was featured in the Chicago Tribune, which described her as a "polished entertainer" at the age of twelve: "Josie's powerful singing voice – à la Barbra Streisand, her idol – is perfectly on key, filled with emotion and depth."[3] In 1979, she starred as Baby June in a Northwestern University production of Gypsy.[4] She graduated from The Chicago Academy for the Arts in 1984,[5][6] with honors from the arts department,[7] and attended DePaul University.[8]

After moving to Los Angeles, California, she did session work, as well as voice-overs for radio station identification spots,[2] and eventually began writing songs and singing background vocals.[9] In 1987, Aiello recorded five songs for the MCA Records release of the Andrew Lloyd Webber original cast recording album Music & Songs from Starlight Express,[5] including "Only You" with Peter Hewlett.[10] She also recorded vocals for the soundtrack of the Francis Ford Coppola film Dear Me and a duet with Plácido Domingo.[5] Other highlights included recording vocals for Kenny Loggins, and soundtracks for movies including South Park, The Out-of-Towners, To the Max, Dinosaur, The Thing You Do, and The Guardian.[2][9]

In 2000, Quincy Jones signed her to his record label Qwest, a partnership with Warner Brothers Records, which released her debut album, Unkunvenshunal Girl,[11] her unique take on contemporary dance-pop.[9] The Qwest label shut down soon afterwards and Aiello had limited success despite touring with bands including 98 Degrees and Hootie & the Blowfish.[9] In 2006, the Lady J label released her second album, Where I Am,[2] featuring R&B-influences.[9] Aiello resumed collaborative projects, and recorded mainly background vocals with artists including R. Kelly, Cheryl Cole, Jennifer Lopez, and Ciara.[9] In 2015, her current record label, Breath of Life, released the single "Elevate" from her third album, Ashes to Beauty.[8]

Qwest positioned Aiello as "a nice fit between Tori Amos and Alanis Morissette, with the soul of Chaka Khan".[12] Her debut album, Unkunvenshunal Girl, was noted for its "too cute title",[11] and received mixed reviews. Noting that her influences included Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin, and Janis Joplin, the Los Angeles Times said, "Aiello has a Richter scale voice that should speak volumes",[7] while The Daily Herald in Arlington Heights, Illinois, called her "a pop princess in the vein of Alanis Morissette".[11] Meanwhile, The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, said that "Aiello's mix of Oprah-esque positive reinforcement...and eager-to-please pop pandering has a familiar, bland taste, dare I say, as 'konvenshunal' as it gets."[13] Unrated Magazine said that her second album, Where I Am, had the intensity of her first album, but "chills out vocals with music and incorporates neo-soul with hip-hop, Latin and world beat rhythms".[2] Acknowledging that Where I Am was "more of a group project that one person's vision", Unrated stated, "Make no mistake, it's all Josie, but she is more like the conductor in this train ride."[2]

"Make Up My Heart"

• Reva Rice – Starlight Express: New London Cast Recording (1992)[14]
• Sarah Brightman – Love Changes Everything (2005)
• Connie Fisher – Secret Love (2009)

• Official website
• Josie Aiello at IMDb