Natalie Merchant

Natalie Merchant is an American singer and is back in the news with the release of her newest album Leave Your Sleep. The album was released and hit shelves on April 13, 2010. Leave Your Sleep is a two disk collection and contains songs like Calico Pie, If No One Ever Marries Me, The Blind Men and the Elephant, Maggie and Milly and Molly and May, Spring and Fall: To a Young Child and Autumn Lullaby.http://www.buy.com/prod/leave-your-sleep/q/loc/109/214692402.html

Merchant made her breakthrough with the Pop-Rock band 10,000 Maniacs in 1981. After parting ways with the band in 1993, she went on to pursue a solo career; producing Tigerlily in 1995, Ophelia in 1998, 2001 she produced the album Motherland and then in 2003 The House Carpenter's Daughter.http://www.examiner.com/x-38149-Celebrity-Headlines-Examiner~y2010m4d13-Natalie-Merchant-releases-new-album-From-10000-manaics-to-26-poetshttp://www.soundunwound.com/music/natalie-merchant/608

Natalie Merchant was born in Jamestown, New York on October 26, 1963. She exhibited a love for music as a young girl, but wanted to become a teacher. All that changed in 1981 when she met Robert Buck and became the lead singer for 10,000 Maniacs. The band produced eight albums in the 12 years that Merchant was with them, in 1982 Human Conflict Number Five, then in 1983 The Secrets of the I Ching, 1985 brought The Wishing Chair, 1987 they produced In My Tribe, in 1989 Blind Man's Zoo, 1990 Hope Chest, 1992 Our Time in Eden, and 1993 MTV Unplugged.http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1190322/bio

"I've found out how overwhelming the media is and the way it drills things into your head, it's almost like a mind control. If I could control people's minds, I'd like to put something useful in."Perfect People: Natalie Merchant

"I don't want to live in a culture of despair. I'd like to live in a culture of hope.

• 1995: Tigerlily
• 1998: Ophelia
• 2001: Motherland
• 2003: The House Carpenter's Daughter