Talking Thrash

BIOGRAPHY Allison Thrash was born in Dallas, Texas, as the youngest of the three children of Patricia Francis and John Thrash. Her mother had been the lead singer for several Los Angeles bands and her father had sung throughout college and was offered second chair for the Houston Symphony Orchestra playing the French horn. Both parents loved music and sang throughout Allison's childhood, passing along the joy of singing, playing and performing to all three children. From first to the twelfth grade, Allison was either singing with the school choirs or providing piano accompaniment. Although her parents' roots were in central Tennessee and eastern Kentucky, her family moved from Dallas to Oklahoma City to Pasadena, and then finally Houston, Texas. Allison studied voice and music history while in college, although her B.A. was finally in Philosophy. While attending Saint Louis University, Allison studied operatic technique under tenor Joseph Beck. While in Houston, she spent a year under the instruction of vocalist Ray Sullenger where she studied such greats as Nat King Cole, Anita O'Day, Billie Holiday and Cole Porter. While living in Houston, Allison sang Big Band with the Ray Sullenger Combo, Jazz with the Bayou City Preservation Jazz Band, Pop with Split Image, and Country Blues with Two of Hearts. After Houston, Allison achieved her goal of making the journey to her Mecca: Austin, Texas. She and her family of four black Labrador retrievers settled on several acres at Lake Travis. While Allison worked as a lobbyist and professional development director for a statewide educational association, she made several trips to Nashville and recorded an unreleased country blues album under the name of Liz Lindsey. The single, I Wanna Take Care of You, was released on a Nashville-based independent label and enjoyed regional success throughout the eastern United States. Since living in Austin, Allison has performed Pop with Kat & The Prowl, Country with Low Water Crossing, R&B with Filet of Soul, and her own sultry Blues at such venues as La Zona Rosa, the Broken Spoke, the Saxon Pub, Scholz Garden and the 311 Club. She and her pack live at Lake Travis where she works on her music and other projects at Labrador Hill. She has recently achieved another goal by completing her full-length CD of Blues songs called, 'Talking Thrash'. The CD is comprised of ten originals written by Allison about women who love men...a lot. She will be forever grateful to the generous contributors to the CD which include David Breaux, David Love, Ephraim Owens, Philippe Vieux, Matt Hubbard, Jan Paul Yenawine and her amazing, selfless family. Allison is presently performing and promoting her CD as a singer-songwriter artist, and she is shopping these and additional songs written by her to other established acts and to the film and television industry. Allison's independent record label is Head On Records and her publishing company is Labrador Hill Music. INFLUENCES Allison greatly admires Billie Holiday, Koko Taylor, Bobby Blue Bland, Big Mama Thornton, B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Warren Zevon, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, Hank Williams, Sr., Elvis Presley, John Hiatt, her mother, her grandmother, and her father. The ninth cut on 'Talking Thrash' entitled, 'Woman Enough', is Allison's tribute to Billie Holiday and her self-penned tune, 'Don't Explain'. The tenth cut entitled, 'Mean Mean Man', was written in an effort to draw attention to the enduring crime of violence against women and children. ACCOMPLISHMENTS Allison was a headliner act for the 2005 NXNE Music Festival where she and her band played at Toronto's premier blues venue, The Silver Dollar Room. Allison performed as the ASCAP Songwriter for the Saxon Pub's Songwriters In The Round event. Allison is a past winner in the R&B category of the Austin Songwriters Group annual competition for her song, 'Memories Lounge'. Allison performed as an invited singer-songwriter at Austin's The Backyard