Melissa Elkins & Take Two
Melissa started singing as a small child. Her mom recalls her belting out in a high range along with a gospel tape when she was still in a high chair. Growing up in a small village there was not a lot of music opportunities. Melissa sang in the school choir and at local talent shows. After high school Melissa recorded a demo at Gene Michael Productions and went on to perform for local festivals. She has sang for weddings and benefit programs such as the Veteran's Day programs and Sept.11th programs at the Eau Claire High School. In Oct.2002, Melissa stood in a line of about 12,000 people for a chance at American Idol. She auditioned but didn't make the finals. In Oct.2003 Melissa was chosen to compete in the Best New Talent contest in Los Angeles, Calif. Melissa was in the catagorie of the top 100 femal vocalists from throughout the United States. In Nov.2004, Melissa won her first contest. She was given the title of LakeLand Idol. It was a talent contest to raise money for associates in need at a company that she works for. In Dec.2004 & Jan.2005, Melissa was the National Anthem singer for the Kalamazoo K-Wings hockey games. In June of 2005, Melissa competed in the Knoxville Star Contest in Bridgeman, MI. She recieved 1st place and was sent to Knoxville, TN to record a demo of cover songs. In the summer of 2005, Melissa decided to try out a new place for karaoke and got what she would have never expected. After belting out Celine Dion's "I Drove All Night", karaoke DJ Cheryl, from StarMakers Unlimited pulled Melissa aside and gave her a phone number for a music producer from Red Ridge Entertainment in Nashville that she knew. Melissa called him and set up a meeting with him. She went down to Nashville and met with him and sang for him while he accompanied her on the keyboard. Well one thing led to another, and Melissa recorded her Debut album entitled "Dusty Road". The album is a country-pop mix. It includes 10 songs. Two of the songs on the album are written by Melissa. "Floatin on Cloud 9", is a song Melissa started writing in 2001 after an engagement to her ex-fience. It's about being in love and feeling like your on cloud nine. "All I Do Is Cry", is a song that Melissa wrote in 2002, around 2 weeks after her engagement and relationship with her ex came to an end. Melissa decided to sit down and start writing how she was feeling and "All I Do Is Cry" is what she came up with. Anyone who has suffered through a broken heart can relate to this song. The song "Angels Wings" on the album is a song about someone close that is slipping away. Melissa dedicates this song as well as the album to the memory of her late grandma Hattie Canard. Melissa feels blessed to have the opportunities she's had, and she hopes to go all the way and fullfill her life long dream of becoming a major recording artists.