BONNIE BISHOP

BONNIE BISHOP FINDS NEW GROOVE & REDEMPTION IN HER MUSIC; RETURNS TO THE ROAD “Went back in the house and picked up this guitar; somehow my fingers found their way to my heart.” In one line, Bonnie Bishop sums up a lifetime of experience crammed into only two short years. After a successful career on the Americana and Texas music circuits including four albums, critical acclaim and a nomination for Vocal Performance of the Year at the Lone Star Music Awards, life came crashing in. Bonnie had a fairy tale wedding and then a painful divorce just 10 short months later. She came off the road to hibernate and write her way through heartache, finding fortitude and faith among her instruments. “Not ‘Cause I Wanted To,” a song resulting from this period, was cut by her hero Bonnie Raitt for her new album, set to release April 10, 2012. Coincidentally, it is Bishop’s first outside cut by a major recording artist. Bonnie joyfully returns to the road this spring, full of life and reinvigorated, excited to meet new fans and reconnect with those who’ve supported her for years. This opportunity, combined with her personal journey, prove that unapologetically honest music – and an unflinchingly authentic heart - will always find a place. Her soulful compositions and raspy voice outlive her personal reinvention as she finds driving rock rhythms in her guitar and on her piano – the latest addition to her cadre of talent. Bonnie wrote the new material with a simple notion in mind: You have to love yourself before you can fully love and be loved by anyone else. Three parts Gavin Degraw, Janis Joplin and Bonnie Raitt, with a splash of Grace Potter and a shot of Robert Earl Keen, Bonnie’s affecting lyrics and musical prowess underscore her ability to encourage and validate the listener. Her stories of survival and redemption, often weighted subject matter, find their way into empowering and anthemic songs fit for anyone’s personal theme song playlist. “My music evolved because I fundamentally changed,” said Bonnie. “My experiences in the last few years, however painful, taught me humility and personal accountability. I learned how strong my faith in God was when I actually had to rely on it, not just profess it. I learned the art of gratitude and forgiving myself. And I learned that – no matter how devastating the experience – I will survive. Most everyone needs to know all of this is possible. I am living proof.” Her story is fully told in the new material recording this spring. Whether she’s performing an intimate, one-woman show or rocking out with a full band, Bonnie’s music will shake your core, lift you up and bring you back around to the bright side. Bonnie is a signed songwriter with Writer’s Den Music Group and frequently writes with the most lauded songwriters in Nashville. Her 2009 album “Things I Know,” 2006 album “Live at Magnolia Avenue Saloon” and 2004 debut album “Long Way Home” can all be purchased on iTunes and her 2005 sophomore album “Soft to the Touch,” along with the others, can be purchased at Amazon.com. When she’s not touring, Bonnie lives in Nashville where she runs a laughter-filled boarding house for the musically inclined, plus a menagerie of one dog and two cats. Her creativity also comes to life in the kitchen where she’s perfecting a style of healthy cuisine as unique as her music. Bonnie’s house family is incredibly well fed and entertained.