Sammy Rae & The Friends

Iron Horse Music Hall (20 Center Street, Northampton MA 01060)

Music

Singer/songwriter, bandleader, and human being Samantha Bowers was born in the small town of Derby, Connecticut. Sam first began writing songs at age 12 while taking piano lessons and listening to Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel and Freddie Mercury playing on the family stereo. By 16, Sam developed a love of jazz and began to study the great female vocalists of the century (mainly Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James and Sarah Vaughn) as she started to perform original compositions in local Connecticut and New Jersey venues. She would go on to release the LP ‘Hopeless’ (2010, age 15) and EP ‘Celebrate My Heart’ (2012, age 18).