PLEASED TO PRESENT
HILLARY SMITH
With a deep soulfulness rooted in the Gospel-driven churches of her youth, a classically trained vocal instrument that’s a natural wonder, and a God-given instinct for swinging a lyric, vocalist Hillary Smith has been electrifying audiences across the United States for more than 30 years.
A native of Hobbs, New Mexico, Hill first made her mark in the ’80s with gutsy performances of rockin’ blues and funk, and she’s fronted a number of popular bands in the Albuquerque/Santa Fe area over the years. Chief among the early groups was the multi-award-winning Strictly Taboo, whose debut album, “Playing with Fire”, got heavy rotation on local and international radio. In recent years, Hillary has been digging deeper into the blues with guitarist Chris Dracup and bassist Marcus Casman in the Soul Kitchen trio—yet another award-winning, crowd-pleasing venture.
In 2010, a chance encounter with singer/songwriters Mandy Buchanan and Yvonne Perea opened an exciting new chapter in Hill’s career that recast her as not just a vocalist, but as a singer/songwriter. The three ladies found a sweet spot in their acoustic trio hONEyhoUSe, whose 2011 debut album, “Sun”, found its way to the podium as “Best of the Year” at the New Mexico Music Awards.
Hillary credits Mandy and Yvonne with helping her discover her writing talent. Though she loves interpreting others’ tunes—from The Great American Songbook standards to low-down blues—she’s discovered that singing material that comes directly from her own heart offers a deep satisfaction. "Medicine Lodge”, hONEyhoUSe’s stunning 2012 release, found the trio making even more beautiful music. The album won numerous awards at the New Mexico Music Awards and caught the ear of Avokado Records head Tom Frouge.
A native of Hobbs, New Mexico, Hill first made her mark in the ’80s with gutsy performances of rockin’ blues and funk, and she’s fronted a number of popular bands in the Albuquerque/Santa Fe area over the years. Chief among the early groups was the multi-award-winning Strictly Taboo, whose debut album, “Playing with Fire”, got heavy rotation on local and international radio. In recent years, Hillary has been digging deeper into the blues with guitarist Chris Dracup and bassist Marcus Casman in the Soul Kitchen trio—yet another award-winning, crowd-pleasing venture.
In 2010, a chance encounter with singer/songwriters Mandy Buchanan and Yvonne Perea opened an exciting new chapter in Hill’s career that recast her as not just a vocalist, but as a singer/songwriter. The three ladies found a sweet spot in their acoustic trio hONEyhoUSe, whose 2011 debut album, “Sun”, found its way to the podium as “Best of the Year” at the New Mexico Music Awards.
Hillary credits Mandy and Yvonne with helping her discover her writing talent. Though she loves interpreting others’ tunes—from The Great American Songbook standards to low-down blues—she’s discovered that singing material that comes directly from her own heart offers a deep satisfaction. "Medicine Lodge”, hONEyhoUSe’s stunning 2012 release, found the trio making even more beautiful music. The album won numerous awards at the New Mexico Music Awards and caught the ear of Avokado Records head Tom Frouge.
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