The youngest of four children, Joanna-Marie was born on Febuary 18th 1967 of Jamaican and Venezuelan parentage. She attended St Peter and Paul Preparatory School and Holy Childhood High School in Kingston Jamaica. From an early age Joanna-Marie started singing, performing on the then Popular "Ring Ding" TV show hosted by Miss Lou, Jamaica's first lady of comedy.
In 1984 Joanna-Marie now seventeen years old was ready to pursue a recording career. This reality came by way of popular radio disc jockey Clint O'Neil, who found this young woman very talented and was encouraged by her determination. He produced her first single in 1985 called "SINGLE GIRL" and a second "I AM SO THANKFUL" in 1986. Both singles got good air play and introduced Joanna-Marie to the South Florida scene where her first live performance at the Bicentennial Park in Miami, was to a capacity audience of 50,000 where she was well received. During this period she was encouraged to sing in her second language but Joanna-Marie was not yet comfortable singing in spanish. She wanted to be more confident on and off the stage. She was presented with the opportunity to work the club scene with Andy and Billy Vernon. Joanna-Marie took this time to refine her singing and stage work, also had the pleasure of working with Pluto Shervington and this she did for five years.
Joanna-Marie has worked in clubs all over Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties. She also performed in Chicago, Texas, Alabama, Florida, Bahamas, Canada and Jamaica. During that time on the road, Joanna-Marie also found time to work in the studio where she recorded "BABY I LOVE YOUR WAY", produced by Inner Circle in 1987.
In 1990 Joanna-Marie linked with Gong Sound Records where she recorded "RHINESTONE COWGIRL" produced by Karl Pitterson. This was when JAH T encouraged her to try singing in Spanish. Joanna-Marie was now ready to try, and as a result she recorded "MI AMOR" her first Spanish single. She now felt confident and comfortable with both languages, and "AGAIN" and "GOOD E NUFF" followed in both Spanish and English.
Joanna-Marie has worked intensively with other artists in the reggae industry, doing backing vocals, live and in the studio for some of the better known names in reggae, John Holt, Mystic Revealers, Prezident Brown, Benjy Myaz, Lee Milo, Mikal Rose, Dennis Brown, Ernie Smith, Mikey Spice and the late Garnet Silk to name a few.
In 1994 Joanna-Marie joined the Kariang Production team, relocated to Jamaica, where she not only continued to work in the Kariang studio on her album but started a business in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. While in the studios at Kariang, Joanna recorded "SEA OF LOVE" one of the first locally produced Spanish reggae songs to be played on Jamaican radio, this single did very well for Joanna-Marie and placed her in a good position for live performances in her home town. Doing stage shows around the island and still finding time to run a successful business, taking care of her children and working with various producers on her first album "SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE" released on the Kariang label in February 1999. The album contains 16 tracks, seven of which are in Spanish and nine tracks in English. Look for it in your favorite record store and get your copy today.After recovering slowly from an accident June 4th 2005, Joanna has decided that it is time to do her second album. She is very busy at the recording studio of New Creation Records working with David Rowe on her next album. She promises to bring you ALL original lyrics and riddims never heard from Joanna Marie before!
CHECK OUT HER "STEP UP" ON THE VARIOUS ARTIST ALBUM ENTITLED ROOTS JUGGLING ON THE NEW CREATION RECORDS LABEL AND HER UPCOMING ALBUM RELEASE DATE OCTOBER 2009
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