Jill Watson - Bass

Okay, so I am not Bette Midler or Barbra Streisand, but in my wildest dreams, I SO want to be! From the time I saw Funny Girl, and then The Divine Miss M live and in concert, I wanted to perform on stage. Oh, and did I mention seeing myself as Madonna in Evita, I was her too. I live vicariously through the great performers and I do it regularly….in my car!  Well if you could only hear me…..

Anyway, when I was 7 years old, I would sing along with my Dad’s Polly Bergen, and Rosemary Clooney albums, clutching my hairbrush microphone and bowing for my pretend fans. I belted out “Taaaammy, Taaaammy, Tammy’s in love” all with choreography! So, as I look back, it appears I have always been a sing-along-singer, but throughout my adulthood, it’s either been in my car or at home for the amusement of my cat, Lily, who totally appreciates my abilities. (She loves quartet practice at my house and plants herself smack in the middle of us – it’s a riot).

Then one day in 2002, I met up with Sweet Adelines. Finally, my chance to be rubbing elbows with other Bette and Babs wanna-be’s. How fun is this? I was hooked on the first night.

In my real life, I am the studio manager for a busy advertising and marketing firm in Traverse City – a very fun and action-packed job that keeps me hoppin’ pretty much all of the time. I am extremely lucky that my company, LindyLazar Marketing, is so supportive of my singing “career”. They even let Sashay practice in our conference room. The staff regularly comes over to listen and offer “suggestions” – they photograph us, videotape us, get us gigs and even support us financially. I am blessed to work for such fantastic women!

And what about this bass voice? As my family says, where in the heck did that come from?  All the women who could carry a tune in my family were soprano voices! And both of my sisters, well, they would agree, that they have a difficult time carrying a tune, so they are in awe that not only can I sing, but I can sing harmony as well. I like to say the low voice must have come from all the whiskey drinking and smoking I did way-back-when – before I knew any better!

My daughter Lori, lives in the Detroit area and she and her husband Steve, have just given me a new baby grand daughter. Her name is Addison – I call her my Sweet Addie!