Colleen McFarland grew up in a small, three bedroom, one bathroom house on the outskirts of Jennings, Missouri, singing whatever music her parents, and one brother and seven sisters played on the radio and family turntable. Since she was the youngest sibling, her option of control was limited which is probably why she became a professional entertainer at the age of fifteen. She also sang songs that she learned in Catholic school and church, ranging from Let There Be Peace On Earth to Hava Nagila (in one school program where a little diversity snuck in). During high school she joined a band called The Band, led by a guy who posed as a vocal coach from the local Ludwig Aeolian music store, who also dressed up as Batman on Halloween (he also worked as an Oldsmobile salesman) and picked her up for gigs in a souped up Bat-Oldsmobile. Colleen's dad didn't want her to join this band, but her mom talked him into it, knowing it would break her heart if she didn't follow her dreams. She went on to sing in lots of other bands during high school and college with names like Deliverance, The Melody Review, The Rhythm Rockers, Cagney, Mystic Voyage and others she just can't seem to remember. Colleen discovered folk and soul at an early age listening to the songs of Neil Young, James Taylor, and Aretha Franklin, joined by the likes of Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Jerry Riopelle, and Marty Robbins. Colleen graduated with honors in music performance from the University of Missouri in St. Louis, paying her tuition by performing in some really good and bad nightclubs in some really good and bad neighborhoods of St. Louis and East St. Louis, Illinois, and other places too scary or derelict to mention. Her mother prayed successfully for her safe return home each night with many Hail Marys. Colleen survived horrific hairdos, ungodly outfits, and real charmers who sometimes sprayed her with beer to get her attention. Colleen spent some time living in Boston, Mass. pursuing songwriting and living with a 97 year old lady named Hazel who called her 'Wendy'. She also spent many days and nights writing and practicing on a big, orange couch bequeathed to her by her uncle Hibby. She moved to New Jersey and Philadelphia for an extended period of time performing her original music at many venues in the Northeast including the Tin Angel, The Point, the Bitter End, and lots of coffee shops and festivals. She recorded two independent cds which received airplay on many college radio stations, and worked as a voice-over talent and jingle singer, recording commercials for Nike, Fox Television, Polygram Video, and recorded the lead soprano part for Bernard Herrmann's (of Alfred Hitchcock fame) post-mortem Opus 6. Colleen moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 2003 and just released her third cd entitled ´Beautiful Lie´, featured in Maverick Magazine's (UK) October issue, The Nashville Scene's Critics Pick August issue, Sing Out! magazine, and the November issue of Performing Songwriter's top DIY picks, and played on many independent and international radio stations including BBC Radio 2 with Bob Harris. During her three year residency in Nashville, she has performed solo and with her band at several venues including 3rd and Lindsley, the Bluebird Cafe, Borders, the Basement, the French Quarter, Douglas Corner, and the Family Wash. Colleen also sings with the band Soul Food, featuring guitarist/pedal steel player Pete Finney (Patty Loveless, Dixie Chicks), Dave Jacques (Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, Buddy Miller), Jen Gundermann (the Jayhawks), Ken Coomer (Wilco), Martin Lynd (Last Train Home), and has sung with guitarist Reeves Gabrels (David Bowie's Tin Machine) and Audley Freed (Black Crowes) singing blues and soul at East Nashville's favorite hangout, The Family Wash. She also backs up Curt Perkins (Josh Rouse band) as a vocalist at various Nashville venues. She has shared the stage with Brett James, Tom Ghent, Freedy Johnston, Jeff Black, Kim Richey, Jeffrey Gaines, Lucy Kaplansky, Davis Raines, Doug Gill, Tom Gould, Entrain and many others. Colleen licensed two songs from her latest cd ´Beautiful Lie´ to Universal Studios for the dvd release of the television series Northern Exposure, and also recently signed a contract with Universal Studios to write for film and television with Grammy nominated writers and producers John Mattick and Rodney Lawson of Crew 22. She just returned from touring Europe with Norwegian songwriter Peter Nova, and has been recording new songs in Nashville with guitarist/producer Thomm Jutz (Nancy Griffith, Mary Gauthier) for her next full length cd. During the last ten years, Colleen has also taught piano and voice to supplement her income, or lack thereof, performing and writing music.