VICKIE NATALE CBS Star Search Grand Champion 2004 Don't be surprised if while strolling on the Upper West Side of NYC you hear a powerful voice echoing from a dark club in the distance, the voice you hear probably belongs to Vickie Natale and the club is likely the Sugar Bar, owned by the legendary duo Ashford and Simpson. It is on this very stage that Vickie was approached and invited to appear on the hit talent series Star Search. The Sugar Bar had become a second home for Vickie, she spent every Thursday night there for over two years showcasing her talents for celebrities like Stephanie Mills, Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder, Patti Labelle, Wynona Judd, and Michael McDonald. While watching Vickie perform you will undoubtedly see the spirit that this young woman embodies. In her eyes, in each note she belts out, you can hear both Vickie's plight and her vision. Vickie's musical stylings are infused with contemporary R&B and pop, however, funk, jazz, and blues flow just as naturally from her voice. However, this sexy songstress is not just another talented voice, Vickie also writes, arrangers, composes, and produces her own music. This Brooklyn native has always been a dreamer, and as dreamers often do, Vickie insisted on transcending here humble beginnings. Growing up in a single parent home, nothing came easy to Vickie and her family. But instead of accepting her "fate", Vickie chose to "take all the negative around her and turn it into a positive." Using the strength and conviction that she learned from her mother, Vickie literally sang her way through school. "We did not have money for rent, let alone music lessons. I remember begging my mom for lessons. It took us such a long time just to save up for a hundred dollar keyboard." She received her first "musical schooling" from listening to artists like Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. Vickie eventually received more formal lessons after being introduced to her high school music teacher and mentor, Maxine Patarini. By 15, she was already performing at local clubs with Maxine and talented classmate, Tirrell Anthony (of American Idol fame). During high school, Vickie tested her talents on many competitive stages, one of which was "Amateur Night at the Apollo" where she won three times. With Maxine's help, she sought out the best school she could, and made her home at the New School University Jazz Program. Vickie was able to study with Jazz legends. Vickie soon learned that "music is about the heart and energy you put into it, and how the blessing of a song can take you and your audience to another level." After graduating from New School University Vickie was determined as ever to follow her dreams, she decided to give back to the same community that helped her reach her goals. Vickie began teaching Music at Mark Twain JHS, (an intermediate school geared to groom students who were just like Vickie). "It wasn't too long ago that I was sitting where they are, and dreaming about the same things." While at Mark Twain, she created and directed a gospel chorus of about 90 children. At their first concert they performed one of Vickie's original songs entitled, "Keep On," a musical tribute to those lost in the World Trade Center attacks. But it wasn't long before fate called on Vickie-early in 2003, while performing at the Sugar Bar, Vickie was approached by a CBS Star Search casting director and invited to appear on the show. Before she could blink her eyes, she found herself on a plane returning to New York $200,000 richer and crowned the winner of the 2003 Star Search Adult Competition. Vickie was invited back to Star Search in 2004 to compete in its Winner's Circle Competition, a format that had previous Star Search stand-outs challenged weekly by new contestants who set out to knock the previous winners out of the "Winner Circle". Not surprising Vickie shined throughout the competition. Vickie's career is clearly on the rise, Last year she was bestowed the honor of being invited to perform at Carnegie Hall on May 10, 2004 in a concert entitled, "New Faces of '04." I guess that saying about how you get to Carnegie Hall is true..... "Practice, practice, practice." Vickie most recently was invited to open for the legendary country artist Reba Mcentire which she received rave reviews and wowed an audience of 65,000 people. Check out her new CD "Never Gonna Stop" which was produced by Vickie Natale available on CD Baby and on her official website www.vickienatale.com as well as a store near you.