Josie Aiello

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Josie Aiello

| image =

| caption =

| image_size =

| birth_name = Josie Aiello

| alias =

| birth_date =

| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

| death_date =

| origin =

| genre = {{flatlist|

}}

| occupation = Singer-songwriter

| years_active = 1984–present

| label =

| current_member_of = Chicago Catz

| website = {{URL|josieaiello.com}}

}}

Josie Aiello is an American singer-songwriter originally from Chicago, Illinois. Her albums include Unkunvenshunal Girl, Where I Am, and Ashes to Beauty. She is known for her pop vocals on Music & Songs from Starlight Express, including the duet "Only You" with Peter Hewlett.{{Cite book |last=Hischak |first=Thomas S. |title=The American Musical Theatre Song Encyclopedia |publisher=Greenwood Press |year=1995 |isbn=0313294070 |location=Westport, Connecticut |pages=268}} She has recorded background vocals for numerous film soundtracks including Dinosaur, The Thing You Do, and The Guardian, and for musical artists such as Kenny Loggins, Cheryl Cole, Jennifer Lopez, and Ciara.

Early life and education

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.{{Cite news |last=KIeiman |first=Carol |date=November 24, 1978 |title=Josie Aiello gives diners a side order of Streisand |page=9 (Section 6) |work=Chicago Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112095465/josie-aiello-gives-diners-a-side-order/ |access-date=2022-10-27 |via=Newspapers.com}} 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." In 1979, she starred as Baby June in a Northwestern University production of Gypsy.{{Cite news |last=Kleiman |first=Carol |date=November 24, 1978 |title=Big little voice of Josie Aiello (continued) |page=10 (Section 6) |work=Chicago Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112095486/big-little-voice-of-josie-aiello/ |access-date=2022-10-27 |via=Newspapers.com}} She graduated from The Chicago Academy for the Arts in 1984,{{Cite news |last=Lauerman |first=Connie |date=March 12, 1989 |title=Class acts At the Chicago Academy for the Arts, the fast track to fame is the name of the game |work=Chicago Tribune |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/282710491 |access-date=2022-10-27 |id={{ProQuest|282710491}} |via=ProQuest}}{{Cite news |last=Lavin |first=Cheryl |date=March 22, 1998 |title=Hollywood on the Lake |work=Chicago Tribune |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1998-03-22-9803220462-story.html |access-date=2022-10-27}} with honors from the arts department,{{Cite news |last=Locey |first=Bill |date=September 15, 2000 |title=Pop Scene: Shock Icon |page=B6 |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112040995/pop-diva-josie-aiello/ |access-date=2022-10-26 |via=Newspapers.com}} and attended DePaul University.

Career

After moving to Los Angeles, California, she did session work, as well as voice-overs for radio station identification spots, and eventually began writing songs and singing background vocals.{{cite web|title=Josie Aiello: Biography|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/josie-aiello-mn0000830979/biography |last=Demalon |first=Tom |website=AllMusic|accessdate=February 22, 2015}} 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, including "Only You" with Peter Hewlett.{{Cite book |title=Popular Music: An Annotated Index of American Popular Songs |publisher=Gale Research Co. |year=1988 |isbn=9780810318106 |editor-last=Pollack |editor-first=Bruce |edition=1987 |volume=12 |location=Detroit |pages=93}} She also recorded vocals for the soundtrack of the Francis Ford Coppola film Dear Me and a duet with Plácido Domingo. 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.

In 2000, Quincy Jones signed her to his record label Qwest, a partnership with Warner Brothers Records, which released her debut album, Unkunvenshunal Girl,{{Cite news |date=October 27, 2000 |title=Two female vocalists, one Americana theme comes to FitzGerald's |work=Daily Herald |location=Arlington Heights, Illinois |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A66507937/STND?u=wikipedia&sid=ebsco&xid=2617f8d3 |access-date=2022-10-26 |via=Gale OneFile}} her unique take on contemporary dance-pop. The Qwest label shut down soon afterwards and Aiello had limited success despite touring with bands including 98 Degrees and Hootie & the Blowfish. In 2006, the Lady J label released her second album, Where I Am,{{cite web |last=King |first=Jackie Lee |date=December 13, 2006 |title=Back on the scene with Josie Aiello |url=https://www.unratedmag.com/josie-aiello/ |accessdate=2022-10-27 |website=Unrated Magazine |publisher=}} featuring R&B-influences. Aiello resumed collaborative projects, and recorded mainly background vocals with artists including R. Kelly, Cheryl Cole, Jennifer Lopez, and Ciara. In 2015, her current record label, Breath of Life, released the single "Elevate" from her third album, Ashes to Beauty.{{cite web|url=http://breathofliferecords.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=24&Itemid=212

|title=Breath of Life Records |publisher=Breath of Life Records.com |accessdate=February 22, 2015}}

Critical reception

Qwest positioned Aiello as "a nice fit between Tori Amos and Alanis Morissette, with the soul of Chaka Khan".{{Cite news |last=Mitchell |first=Gail |date=November 6, 1999 |title=VP/GM Larry Davis Sets rights on Making Qwest A Major Label |volume=111 |work=Billboard magazine |issue=45 |url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=2481266&lang=en-gb&site=eds-live&scope=site |access-date=2022-10-26}} Her debut album, Unkunvenshunal Girl, was noted for its "too cute title", 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", while The Daily Herald in Arlington Heights, Illinois, called her "a pop princess in the vein of Alanis Morissette". 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."{{Cite news |date=December 16, 2000 |title=JOSIE: UNKUNVENSHUNAL GIRL |work=The Morning Call |location=Allentown, Pennsylvania |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A68109670/STND?u=wikipedia&sid=ebsco&xid=aaa7ea07 |access-date=2022-10-26 |via=Gale OneFile}} 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". 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."

Discography

=Albums=

2000 – Unkunvenshunal Girl
2006 – Where I Am
2015 – Ashes to Beauty

=Selected album appearances=

1986: Taylor Street – Josie Falbo
1986: Save Tonight for Me – Chuck Mangione
1987: Music & Songs from Starlight Express [Original Cast Recording] – Andrew Lloyd Webber
1987: Simple Things – Richie Havens
1988: Intuition – Angela Bofill
1992: Designer's Original – Danniebelle Hall
1996: Blues, Dues & Love News – Ernestine Anderson
1998: Vuelve – Ricky Martin
1998: Stay Awhile – Steve Cole
1998: Crowe – Crowe
1999: Stratosphere – Jimmy Earl
1999: Somethin' Bout Love – Brian Culbertson
1999: Out of Towners – Marc Shaiman
1999: Open My Heart – Deborah Franco
2000: Shall We Dance? – Baila
2000: Nobody's Angel – Nobody's Angel
2001: On the Way to Love – Patti Austin
2001: 7 Years of Plenty – Louchie Lou & Michie One
2003: It's About Time – Kenny Loggins
2004: Broadway Favorites Collection – Andrew Lloyd Webber
2005: The 1st Chapter – Paul M.
2006: Halloween, Vol. 2: Creatures Collection – Mannheim Steamroller
2007: Double Up – R. Kelly
2008: Christmasville – Mannheim Steamroller
2012: Dance Again... the Hits – Jennifer Lopez
2012: A Million Lights – Cheryl Cole
2013: Closer to the Truth – Cher
2013: Ciara – Ciara
2014: Sweet Talker – Jessie J

=Selected song appearances=

"AC/DC" (Andrew Lloyd Webber)
"Alright"
"Better with U"
"Can This Be Love"
"Dear You"
"Drastic Measures"
"Elevate"
"Even If"
"Everybody's Breakin'"
"Extreeem"
"Free"
"Get Sommo"
"Having a Bad Day"
"Heavy Heart"
"Inner Logic"
"Into You"
"Isn't It Romantic"
"Let It Rain"
"Let the Good Life (Lead to So Much Love)"
"Little Boy Sweet"
"Lotta Locomotion" (Andrew Lloyd Webber)
"Love Yourself"
"Make Up My Heart" (Andrew Lloyd Webber)
"My Prayer"
"My Way"
"Myself"
"Need to Be Lonely"
"Only You" (Andrew Lloyd Webber)
"Puerto Rican Boy"
"Ready or Not"
"Rebel Music"
"Stop Lovin You"
"Strong Enough"
"The Call"
"Till I Loved You"
"Unkunvenshunal Girl"
"Venom"
"War"
"Where I Am"
"You Can Hear Me Now"

Song covers by other artists

;"Make Up My Heart"

Reva Rice – Starlight Express: New London Cast Recording (1992)[https://www.amazon.com/Starlight-Express-1992-London-Revival/dp/B000005KOG/ref=pd_sbs_15_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B000005KOG&pd_rd_r=d42ffedb-268d-11e9-ad19-fb6cb727d522&pd_rd_w=KoXzu&pd_rd_wg=s23x7&pf_rd_p=588939de-d3f8-42f1-a3d8-d556eae5797d&pf_rd_r=7M7WEG6PBE31FAB2WYXS&psc=1&refRID=7M7WEG6PBE31FAB2WYXS Amazon.com (1992 album)]
Sarah Brightman – Love Changes Everything (2005)
Connie Fisher – Secret Love (2009)