Marsha Ellison profile picture

Marsha Ellison

Music is like Air - Gotta Have It!!

About Me

Marsha began her career in music in the Charlotte area at the age of 15 in the early '70s. Continuing to expand her territory in the next couple of years, she travelled around central Florida with the blues band Maggie's Farm. She married a military man, and they began to play the Southern California venues with their band, Hobo's Jungle. For the next 5 years they were frequently heard playing in the NCO and Officer's clubs on Camp Pendleton, as well as the clubs in Oceanside, Carlsbad, La Jolla and El Cajon with band members Steve Blake and Steve Thomas. Hobo's Jungle played all the acoustic-friendly blues and folk tunes that were then popular, as well as original songs. Marsha did studio work as a vocalist at the Woodshed in Carlsbad with guitarist Jim Duncan, a friend from Oceanside, and has performed for many weddings. Cyndi Collum soon accompanied her as a harmonic vocalist as Hobo's Jungle grew and expanded their repertiore, performing blues and jazz numbers not heard often at that time. They played such venues as the Belly Up Tavern in La Jolla, which contributes to PBS's musical series. She returned to her hometown of Charlotte in the mid 80's, and she has also returned to her roots of folk, blues and country, as well as much gospel and praise music. Marsha can be found playing guitar, alone or with friends, singing in various venues in Charlotte and the surrounding area, attending open mic mights, playing at various resaturants, clubs, coffee houses, private parties and other life events that are important to her clients.
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My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 7/20/2006
Band Members: Band members vary from venue to venue. Bill McDonald - rhythm guitar and vocals, Jim Garrett - lead and rhythm guitars and vocals, Dale Hillyard - rhythm guitar and vocals, Bob Ianucci - drums, Barry O'Rourke - bass guitar, Willy Evans - upright bass and guitars, And Sonny Falls - guitar...Many thanks are given to these very talented musicians for their support! Please find them and enjoy their contributions to Charlotte's diverse musical community when you're in town.
Influences: Marsha was classically trained, and was exposed early to the masters and opera. She has been enamored of ALL the great women singers such as: Willie Mae (Big Mama) Thornton, Bessie Smith, Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, Dinah Washington, Beverly Sills, Maria Callas, Leontyne Price, Janis Joplin, Cass Elliott, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, KD Lang, Linda Ronstadt, Grace Slick, Patsy Cline, Alison Krauss... just to name a few. She also loves the music of: Jerry Garcia (Jerry Bear!!!), Stevie Ray Vaughn, George Thoroughgood, Lynyrd Skynryd, Goose Creek Symphony Orchestra, George Gershwin, Mel Torme, Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Luciano Pavarotti, Jose Carreras, Rogers and Hart, Sammy Cohen, David Allan Coe... She also enjoys many of the gospel and praise artists, including (but NOT limited to): Mahalia Jackson, Amy Grant, Twila Paris, Michael W. Smith, Avalon, Jaci Velasquez and Selah. Marsha has had exposure to just about all music extant on the planet today, and enjoys and is influenced by it all!!
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Sounds Like: When performing cover songs, Marsha adds her unique personal style, making the song her own.
Type of Label: None

My Blog

Studio!!!!

I spent the whole day in the studio backing a friend, and it was great!!!!  I can't even tell you how long it's been since I've been in a studio -  last one was in CA before Danielle wa...
Posted by Marsha Ellison on Thu, 04 Oct 2007 08:48:00 PST

SPRING!!!!

Well, spring is sprung here in NC.  Flowers and flowering trees everywhere!  My allergies can attest to that one.  But, we love the spring here.  It is the second most beautiful se...
Posted by Marsha Ellison on Sat, 31 Mar 2007 08:13:00 PST

Dixie Nitwits

It was bad enough for Natalie Maines to put down President Bush in a foreign country, but now she even bad mouths the people who listen to her music! "I was ignorant to the fact that the stereotypes b...
Posted by Marsha Ellison on Thu, 15 Feb 2007 04:59:00 PST

Christmas blues

Well, another Christmas is nearly here.  I just wish I could get into the Christmas spirit.  Danielle is off in Dallas with her Nanny and Pawpaw, living with Sean for the moment.  Proba...
Posted by Marsha Ellison on Fri, 22 Dec 2006 07:26:00 PST

Jammin...

Had a blast last night.  Went to Puckett's for the open mic, and there was noone there - well, no one but Dale Hillyard, Dennis Davis and Sonny Falls, along with myself.  Sonny thought he ha...
Posted by Marsha Ellison on Fri, 25 Aug 2006 08:00:00 PST

Thoughts on recording

You know recording is a lot harder than I remember it being. I have spent DAYS trying to put together a small disc to use as a demo disc in lining up bookings.  Why is it so hard?  I guess ...
Posted by Marsha Ellison on Wed, 16 Aug 2006 05:24:00 PST

New friend...

Got to play a little at the Comet Grill open mic with Ramblin' Bill McDonald and Jim "Guitar" Garrett.  They played their old standbys from Merle Haggard, Buck Owens and the like, with Willy Evan...
Posted by Marsha Ellison on Thu, 10 Aug 2006 08:29:00 PST