Anne Cochran

A LITTLE BACKGROUND MUSIC With her mother crooning Doris Day, Ella or Peggy Lee, and a big sister whose sing-alongs with the Beatles, Kinks, Animals or Paul Simon could be considered total immersion, Anne Cochran has been pretty much singing since the crib. As soon as she could climb, rehearsals relocated to the bathroom sink, where she could take full advantage of the 3-way mirror.
School musicals soon led to lead vocals with the Hash Brown Band, Timmy and the Tuxedos or Nitebridge, rocking Cleveland-area hot spots. Budding composers (including a baby-faced Jim Brickman) began to snap her up for demos, which introduced her to commercial recordings. A degree in Theatre and Voice at CWRU, a first CD, and a wedding to seal her love-match with her greatest fan... all seemed to follow in rapid succession.

When a first baby arrived in 1986, and a second in 1991, rock gigs were squeezed into weekends and Anne pursued a successful career as the familiar voice of hundreds of well-known national commercials. Several CDs under the Fishhead label, such as the early "Thinking of You", followed, to try new songwriters for size.

TURNING POINT This relatively cozy pace shifts into high gear when former accomplice and then emerging piano man, Jim Brickman, invites her to join him on his first Asian tour. In the wake of all-gold "By Heart", Jim is on a roll and takes Anne along for the fun - and for the voice he knows his public will love.

A first big date at Lincoln Center, a sparkling ruby gown and a voice to bring a lump to your throat speed them on their way. "Jim lured me back on stage and into the mainstream. After my "big sound" experiences in rock, it was simply amazing to hear myself again!"
"AFTER ALL THESE YEARS" In 1999, Anne hits the Top 5 with the now classic single "After All These Years". Triggering stage and TV performances, as well as shows at Madison Square Garden and Gund Arena, the song is chosen by Olympic medalist and now good friend, Rosalynn Sumners, to illustrate her farewell on ice in 1999…and her fairytale Palm Springs wedding in 2004. Guest appearances on Jim's first PBS specials, studded with an electrical "By Heart", and "The Gift' in duet with Donny Osmond, ring in the year 2000.
ON THE ROAD… Much of the year, Anne tours the country with Jim, and their six-week, 30-odd stop holiday tour has been the jubilant climax for the past ten years. Since 1995, she has happily shared the stage with the likes of Collin Raye, Donny Osmond, Dave Koz, Tracy Silverman, Jeff Timmons and Kristy Starling, Greek tenor Mario Frangoulis, Michael Feinstein, Broadway's Mike Eldred, Wayne Brady, Michael Bolton and Linda Edder. "Each new talent and personality I work with brings out a different facet of my own capabilities, keeping my job ever fresh, never ho-hum," says our Anne. "I'm so lucky to be doing exactly what I love to do!" Some of Anne's favorite performances have been enriched by collaborations with the Symphony Orchestras of Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Louisville, Kansas City and Hartford. And in May of 2005, the Brickman show consisting of Jim, Anne and Tracy Silverman, made its debut at Carnegie Hall, with Anne in perfect pitch, swelling each song with the emotion of being there where the hall itself is an incomparable instrument. The Emmy-nominated WKYC Brickman & Friends Christmas special, a 2006 PBS Disney special, and a number of gala benefits continue to widen Anne's reach, opening new vistas for the sparkling chanteuse.
BREAKING NEWS Following her Cain Park sell-out performance in the summer of 2005, Anne has experienced other great solo moments such as her Hartford date with Bob Newhart or Cast Party at Birdland. This year she plans a late summer '06 concert all her own at Cleveland's famed House of Blues. She takes her show to the club's elegant Cambridge Room late August or early September. A word to the wise! Upcoming Brickman dates include Puerto Rico and Hawaii in January 2007. And the passenger list for next year's Valentine Cruise is growing fast. Currently brimming with ideas for a next CD, Anne has authored two new songs to date. It is a bit early to set things in stone, but word has it there just may be a gospel flavor to this new opus...
NO PLACE LIKE HOME As much as she enjoys performing across the country, Anne clearly cherishes family time at home in her native Cleveland. Several seasons back, her eldest son came along for the whirlwind Christmas Tour, emailing homework from the air and picking up US geography on the ground. On long stretches like these, the Cochrans make a point of regrouping at regular intervals to catch up with their favorite star on tour. The loving support of Anne's family, the artist's unique organizational skills and unmatched VIM status (very involved mom) are the stabilizing factors that enable her to enjoy the best of two worlds.