Lea was born into a home where music was the soundtrack of everyday life — from
family dinners to chores, Sunday afternoons and especially car rides, music was playing
at just about every given moment of Lea’s young life. Raised on a mix of 80s and 90s
country, golden oldies, yacht rock, and gospel, her earliest memories are filled with
harmonizing to Silent Night, You Are My Sunshine, and The Everly Brothers with her
Nana. Her dad even set up a stereo system in her room so she could fall asleep every
night to the classics.
Lea took the stage for the first time at just three years old, performing for her church
congregation, and by age five, she was a regular at town events and school talent
shows. At ten, she taught herself to yodel listening to LeAnn Rimes and Dolly Parton,
received her first karaoke machine (using cassette tapes), and started entering — and
placing in — singing competitions, often outperforming adults, where she emulated the
likes of Patsy Cline, Stevie Nicks, Shania Twain, Martina McBride and The Chicks.
By 11, Lea wrote her first original song, Anything Worth Crying, later included in a
national poetry anthology and adapted into a full track with the help of studio musicians.
At 12, she recorded her first full-length album, Willing Heart.
Now a seasoned professional for nearly thirty years, Lea has performed solo and with a
range of groups including Time Warp, Crush, The Toman Brothers, Guys Without Ties,
and SparkyLark. She later joined The Prince Project, a Prince; The Revolution tribute,
emulating Wendy Melvoin on guitar and vocals. Today, she lends her voice, saxophone,
and percussion skills to Against The Wind and fronts the Pittsburgh-based bluegrass
band City Holler. A versatile musician, Lea continues to write, perform, and record
original music inspired by the rich soundtrack of her upbringing.