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Bio

I've always wanted to sing. I've always wanted to share that with the world. Am I the greatest singer who ever lived? No...and I know better. However, I do think I have something unique to offer vocally and emotionally that isn't really out there. I'm versatile, and I love all genres of music. My heart is with country music, and I think that's where my best vocal performance is at, but I still love doing Alanis Morissette covers. All my life, I've looked at music as something that I am drawn to based on my mood. I've felt that no matter what I'm experiencing in life, there's a song out there that I can relate to. I also appreciate the different genres and what they've offered me as an artist and a person. When people ask me these days what type of music I listen to most often, I tell them country music, but I still have fond memories of cruisin' the streets at night with Rage Against the Machine blaring as loudly as my poor little car speakers would handle.Above all, though, I love country music. The best stories are told in country music. Some of the best songwriting I've ever heard is in country music. I love that country artists aren't afraid to write about issues that matter and actually say something important about them and can do so with tact and grace and respect, instead of just ranting, cussing, or making everything about sex. I love country music fans. They're the most laid back, real, good-hearted, and loyal fans in the world. My lifestyle is more like a country song than anything else, and I think that helps me identify with the music and the fans as country artists do. And as much as I love Adele and Beth Hart and Leah Andreone as talented female vocalists and songwriters, I fancy myself more a Reba or Jennifer Nettles, both of whom I idolize and respect for all their forward advances in the genre and their daring to be different. (I think that Jennifer Nettles is kind of the Gwen Stefani circa No Doubt of country music.)At the end of the day, I'd like to write something that would get someone tapping their foot, out of their seat, turning up their radios and singing along, or something that comforts them when they need to know they aren't alone in this world. If I could reach out and touch one person with my music, I think that'd be enough for me -- unless it becomes an addiction on my end, which I can easily see it doing. Now that I'm in my thirties, I feel I'm in a better place to help tell those stories, too, compared to when I tried to get started in this a decade ago. I've grown so much as a person, and now I feel like I'm in the right place at the right time with the right people in my life. I thank each and every one of them for their undying love and support.
Outline

Photos

Weiss Creative Studio Shoot
Swingin' Leroy
Karaoke
Harlee Live
Acoustic Sets

Weiss Creative Studio Shoot

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Swingin' Leroy

Salty Dog

Salty Dog

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Karaoke

Harlee and Carrie
Harlee Karaoke Finals
Harlee Karaoke Finals
Harlee Karaoke Qualifying
Harlee Karaoke Qualifying
Harlee Karaoke Qualifying
Harlee - One Night to Shine
Harlee - One Night to Shine
Harlee - One Night to Shine
Harlee Just Havin' Fun
Harlee Just Havin' Fun
Lookin' Angry...
Singing with Carrie
Singing with Carrie
Singing Alanis

Harlee and Carrie
Harlee Karaoke Finals
Harlee Karaoke Finals
Harlee Karaoke Qualifying
Harlee Karaoke Qualifying
Harlee Karaoke Qualifying
Harlee - One Night to Shine
Harlee - One Night to Shine
Harlee - One Night to Shine
Harlee Just Havin' Fun
Harlee Just Havin' Fun
Lookin' Angry...
Singing with Carrie
Singing with Carrie
Singing Alanis

Harlee Live

Harlee Live at The Strand
Harlee Live at The Strand
Nashville Showcase
Nashville Showcase
Nashville Showcase
Nashville Showcase
Nashville Showcase
Live in NC - 2002
Live in NC - 2002
Live in NC - 2002
Live in NC - 2002
Harlee w Billy Joe Royal '02

Harlee Live at The Strand
Harlee Live at The Strand
Nashville Showcase
Nashville Showcase
Nashville Showcase
Nashville Showcase
Nashville Showcase
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Live in NC - 2002
Live in NC - 2002
Live in NC - 2002
Harlee w Billy Joe Royal '02

Acoustic Sets

13 May 2011 - Rizzi's
13 May 2011 - Rizzi's
13 May 2011 - Rizzi's
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13 May 2011 - Rizzi's
13 May 2011 - Rizzi's
13 May 2011 - Rizzi's
13 May 2011 - Rizzi's

Videos

Hey Jealousy and Summer of '69 - Harlee Duke and Jeremy Howard _ Rizzi's

Come on Get Higher, You and I Both, and Just Like a Pill - Harlee Duke and Jeremy Howard _ Rizzi's

Closing the show: "All for You" - Harlee Duke and Jeremy _ Rizzi's

Above: Acoustic set with Jeremy played at Rizzi's Paradiso Pub in Arlington, TN on 8 April 2011.

Right: Karaoke Idol Finals hosted by DJ Funn and Rizzi's Paradiso Pub. Harlee ended up winning first place in the competition. The first round song was "It Happens" by Sugarland, and the second round and entire competition was won with Reba's "Why Haven't I Heard From You?"

Singing Sugarland's "It Happens" for Karaoke Idol Finals - March 25th, 2011

Singing Reba's "Why Haven't I Heard From You?" - Round Two Karaoke Idol Finals

Subscribe to Harlee's YouTube Channel and always have the latest video postings first!

Music The following tracks are not my writing, but are tracks that I was given permission to record as demos. Some are better than others, and some I like better than others. "Sound of a Woman (Saying Goodbye)," "It's Dawning on Me," "At Least He Don't Remind Me of You," and "You Didn't Burn That Bridge" were recorded at Studio 19 in Nashville many moons ago with a live band made of some of Nashville's best. We spent about four hours laying these four songs down, and we're pretty pleased with the results.Shortly thereafter, the remaining uploaded tracks ("Hook, Line, and Sinker," "Broken Promises," and "Oklahoma Blue") were recorded in northern Mississippi in a hi-tech, barnyard studio. They're demo quality, and it was a long day, so they're kind of pitchy. This round was done from pre-recorded tracks that my vocals were mixed with. On a few of the tracks, a friend added his guitar stylings to the mix to spice it up a little.All of these songs are more traditional country, and I consider my own writing and such to be a little edgier. I'm writing all the time, and I look forward to posting those recordings here for you. I hope you enjoy what we've put together thus far.More to come!!

w/ Jeremy

Ladies and Gentlemen, Jeremy Howard!

Jeremy is a musical genius, although he'd be more humble than to tell you that himself. He's been my musical rock in this bit, and he's always looking for ways to make this thing bigger and better. A friend for 15 years or better, Jeremy can play piano, guitar, and harmonica, and he does each of them with a talent I'm blessed to have on my team. Without him, I know that I wouldn't be where I'm at with this. Jeremy also sits in with other local musicians, such as Twin Soul, and was a founding member of The Puppeters. He even got to play an impromptu live show with Better Than Ezra, that's how good he is. I'm so grateful to work with him. We're currently in the process of working up a band, so we look forward to bringing you more originals in the future!
Jeremy, Harlee, and StevenAbove: Taken the night of the "One Night to Shine" karaoke contest. Jeremy came out to support me and posed for a picture, taken by the talented Julie Weiss of Weiss Creative Studio in Memphis, TN, with my fiance', Steven, and me. I didn't win the show, but it was the night that Steven proposed to me in the best way EVER, so the night was still amazing!
w/ Swingin' Leroy

How It Happened

Swingin' Leroy

Jennifer Leigh

Jennifer Leigh got her vocal start around the house in diapers singing to her family from her Fisher Price tape recorder (with microphone, of course), and took basic piano lessons in early childhood. She joined the children's church choir and then, as she got older, her school choirs. In high school, she had the good fortune to train under Ms. Cindy Barrett. Jennifer faced some of her first criticism under Ms. Barrett, but it was the best thing that ever happened to her vocally. From that point on, Jennifer was dedicated to becoming a better vocalist, working through the choir into leadership positions and joining a cover band, "Consecutive Doses," right out of high school. "Doses" was a group of amazingly talented musicians, and Jennifer was able to sing and play keyboards in the band. In the midst of that, she taught herself enough guitar chords to get herself in trouble and struck out to record a demo at Studio 19 in Nashville, TN, under the pseudonym, Harlee Duke. This country music demo was well received, and it gave Jennifer a chance to mix and mingle in Nashville with some key players. Unfortunately, Jennifer's confidence failed her, and she allowed life to get in the way of her progress. Afraid of even moderate success, Jennifer hid behind her college studies, earning a BA in English, an MA in English, and an MA in Teaching, all within 8 years. The music bug never left Jennifer, though. She kept sane doing karaoke and entering contests around town but ultimately wanted more. By her late twenties, she finally had the right people in her life to help make that happen, namely her soon-to-be-husband, Steven, who encouraged her to start taking music seriously again. One night doing karaoke, the DJ saw something in her that impressed him, and he approached her wanting her to pick her guitar back up and do some opening acoustic acts for him. So, she called her friend, Jeremy Howard, a far superior guitar player, and asked for his help. The two were in the midst of working acoustic sets when the opportunity to join "Swingin' Leroy" came around. Anxious to be a part of a band family again, Jennifer eagerly signed on.
What do you do when you're a local musician tired of the same dreary scene? You find a few other musicians like you, climb into the boat together, and sail off on a new adventure. That's what happened when Brian Ervin approached Jeremy Howard about starting a new band with a different approach. At the time, Brian had secured a bass player who was looking to do something new, and they wanted to find a guitar player and a female lead vocalist to round things out. Jeremy had sat in with Brian's former band a few times, and Brian knew Jeremy wasn't married off to any other band yet, so he was a logical choice to ask him to sign on, since he's crazy talented and all. Jeremy told them he was kind of helping out his friend, Jennifer, with this acoustic thing they were aiming to get started, but that he'd run it by her.So, a drummer, a bass player, a chic singer, and a guitar player walk into a midtown Starbucks... Lame joke aside, it turned into a brilliant idea. Four musicians became one band determined to do something different. They started practicing together and building a list of songs built on the favorites you all want to hear and yet branching out to the ones you forgot you loved and a few you wouldn't think a band would dare attempt. A few weeks in, the four decided they were one short, and set out on a quest for a rhythm guitar player-but not just any guitar player. This guitar player needed to be someone who could play rhythm, some lead as needed, it'd be nice if he or she sang, and hey, if they had some PA equipment, it'd be on. Through the miracle of Craigslist, that musician was actually found. Brian Johnston auditioned for the role of super trooper and was the instant favorite.So four became five, and it was time for the essentials. Build up the set list. Practice some more. Round out the needed PA equipment. Practice some more. Pick a name. Practice some more. Pick a name. With their named secured, it looked like Swingin' Leroy was ready to take the scene by storm, then the band had a small setback, and lost a member. So, it was back to the Internet. Only this time, the Craigslist gods weren't so kind. Bass players are really hard to find, believe it or not. It took a few auditions, but then Richard Wamble showed up. Relief. Rich was talented, laid back, and had the right idea about what Swingin' Leroy was about. He hit the ground running, learning songs at record pace, and in a short time, the band was ready to get out again.That's where you come in. Swingin' Leroy is something new: no, seriously. We know you've heard it before, but we actually mean it. We're the show you're not going to want to miss and that you're never going to get tired of. Playing rock, country, rhythm and blues, and then some, Swingin' Leroy is out to raise your expectations. We're out to give you a different show every time you see us. We want to play what you want to hear, so ask us. We want you up and rockin' with us, so when Jennifer comes and gets you out of your chair, don't even try to fight back. Resistance is futile, and crowd participation is not an option!
Want to find out more about Swingin' Leroy? Visit the Swingin' Leroy website and see pictures, videos, find out when we're playing, meet our fans and friends, and much more! Like us on Facebook.Follow us on Twitter.
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