Josie Aiello is an American singer-songwriter originally from Chicago, Illinois. Her albums include Unkunvenshunal Girl, Where I Am, and Ashes to Beauty. She is known for her pop vocals on Music & Songs from Starlight Express, including the duet "Only You" with Peter Hewlett.[1] She has recorded background vocals for numerous film soundtracks including Dinosaur, The Thing You Do, and The Guardian, and for musical artists such as Kenny Loggins, Cheryl Cole, Jennifer Lopez, and Ciara.
Early life and education
Aiello got her start as a performer singing at her family's Sicilian restaurant, Cas and Lou's, in the north side of Chicago, where she worked from the age of nine.[2][3] In 1978, she was featured in the Chicago Tribune, which described her as a "polished entertainer" at the age of twelve: "Josie's powerful singing voice – à la Barbra Streisand, her idol – is perfectly on key, filled with emotion and depth."[3] In 1979, she starred as Baby June in a Northwestern University production of Gypsy.[4] She graduated from The Chicago Academy for the Arts in 1984,[5][6] with honors from the arts department,[7] and attended DePaul University.[8]
In 2000, Quincy Jones signed her to his record label Qwest, a partnership with Warner Brothers Records, which released her debut album, Unkunvenshunal Girl,[11] her unique take on contemporary dance-pop.[9] The Qwest label shut down soon afterwards and Aiello had limited success despite touring with bands including 98 Degrees and Hootie & the Blowfish.[9] In 2006, the Lady J label released her second album, Where I Am,[2] featuring R&B-influences.[9] Aiello resumed collaborative projects, and recorded mainly background vocals with artists including R. Kelly, Cheryl Cole, Jennifer Lopez, and Ciara.[9] In 2015, her current record label, Breath of Life, released the single "Elevate" from her third album, Ashes to Beauty.[8]
Critical reception
Qwest positioned Aiello as "a nice fit between Tori Amos and Alanis Morissette, with the soul of Chaka Khan".[12] Her debut album, Unkunvenshunal Girl, was noted for its "too cute title",[11] and received mixed reviews. Noting that her influences included Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin, and Janis Joplin, the Los Angeles Times said, "Aiello has a Richter scale voice that should speak volumes",[7] while The Daily Herald in Arlington Heights, Illinois, called her "a pop princess in the vein of Alanis Morissette".[11] Meanwhile, The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, said that "Aiello's mix of Oprah-esque positive reinforcement...and eager-to-please pop pandering has a familiar, bland taste, dare I say, as 'konvenshunal' as it gets."[13]Unrated Magazine said that her second album, Where I Am, had the intensity of her first album, but "chills out vocals with music and incorporates neo-soul with hip-hop, Latin and world beat rhythms".[2] Acknowledging that Where I Am was "more of a group project that one person's vision", Unrated stated, "Make no mistake, it's all Josie, but she is more like the conductor in this train ride."[2]
^Pollack, Bruce, ed. (1988). Popular Music: An Annotated Index of American Popular Songs. Vol. 12 (1987 ed.). Detroit: Gale Research Co. p. 93. ISBN9780810318106.
