Sharp was born in the Central Valley in California, the only child of country songwriter Randy Sharp and anthropology professor Sharon Bays.[1] When she was four, the family moved to Los Angeles, and at the age of five she recorded her first song.[1] By the age of twelve she played piano, saxophone, oboe, and guitar, and by her twenties she was performing her jazz/folk songs in L.A. acoustic venues.[2] Musically, she was inspired by Bonnie Raitt, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne and Sting.[1][2] Sharp studied music theory at California State University, Northridge and began to focus on song-writing.[1] She came out as a lesbian at the age of 23.[1]
Career
Sharp played her first gig in 1993.[1] Two years later, she met music executive Miles Copeland and recorded her debut album, Hardly Glamour (1997), on his record label Ark 21.[1] Her next album Tinderbox failed to be released when Ark 21 was incorporated into PolyGram.[3] Three of its songs were featured on Sharp's 2002 album Maia Sharp on Concord.[3][4] Her 2005 album Fine Upstanding Citizen was released by Koch. 2009's Echo, released by Crooked Crown, is, according to Sharp, her most personal album to date.[5]
Sharp contributed the track "Castaway" to the album Music from the Aisle of Lesbos, an album featuring various lesbian artists from different genres.[7] In 2009 Sharp opened for Bonnie Raitt on several dates. She started a national concert tour in October 2009.[8]
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