Alyssa showed a significant natural talent for singing at the tender age of four. In her earliest memories she recalls her parents buying her a Radio Shack microphone and recording her voice on their home stereo, singing along with artists like Elvis Presley, Paul Simon, Anne Murray and many more. She remembers fondly driving with her beloved Grama in her big brown Oldsmobile, singing along to Country music eight tracks.
Her first professional stage experience was at just twelve years old and she began recording in a professional recording studio at that time as well. She quickly developed an engaging stage presence and very shortly was performing with members of iconic Canadian bands like Prism as well as many other seasoned Vancouver musicians.
In 1983, she performed in 42 sold out performances of Visions: Mission Andromeda- the first ever musical to perform live in sync with a computer laser light show which took place at the Vancouver Planetarium. She also began performing the National anthems at International Minor Hockey tournaments, Auto Racing, Boxing and Kick Boxing.
This led to the opportunity to perform in Edmonton at the Northlands Coliseum for a charity bout between Edmonton Oilers enforcer Dave Semenko and the great Muhammad Ali.
At the dawn of her teenage years Alyssa was performing regularly with a variety of local bands and on musical variety shows for CKVU-13 Television Vancouver and also performed on the Jimmy Ferguson Show on CBC Television.
At fifteen, the acting bug hit and by sixteen she had earned her credits to become a full member of ACTRA. She has appeared in one Feature film, one Disney Sunday movie, various episodes of television series such as 21 Jump Street and the Black Stallion and had a co-starring role on VH1’s "Big Sound", directed by Canadian comedy icon, David Steinberg. She also appeared in print and Television commercial for companies like the Hudson’s Bay, Sears and The Province newspaper.
Alyssa definitely had an unusual youth, early on playing pubs at twelve and graduating to co-fronting rock band Strauss at just seventeen!
Alyssa journeyed to Nashville to record a three song EP. Her debut release, the 1993 hit single “Rich Man” penned by a Langley songwriter, reached #3 on the Record’s Country chart and broke the top 20 on the National hit charts.
It was an accomplishment one prominent radio programmer felt was unprecedented at the time for a first single.
A radio tour and lots of stage time along with her chart success garnered her nominations for British Columbia Country Music Association; Horizon Award (best new artist), Best Single and Female Vocalist of the Year in her mid twenties!
A grateful recipient of the prestigious $25,000 FACTOR (Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent on Record) award, Alyssa released a full length CD titled “This Heart.” It was recorded at Tom Lavin’s (of Powder Blues Band) Blue Wave Studios in Vancouver, produced by the late great Larry Wayne Clarke and received great critical success. A fantastic run at the Calgary Stampede followed and Alyssa was given the distinct honour of a Showcase at Canadian Country Music Week, which with great sadness she was unable to travel to perform, due to illness.
Alyssa then started a family and she is the proud mom of two beautiful children. She considers her children to be the greatest accomplishment of her life.
Later, encouraged by a dear friend to re-engage in music and performing, she accompanied her to an audition for International Abba Tribute Abracadabra. Alyssa was cast in the role of Agnetha and this led to exciting travel across Canada, the United States and East Asia, performing for the Malaysian Royal family twice. After ten great years she retired from the show to stay closer to her children and start her own company called As You Wish Princess parties, bringing joy to thousands of families in Vancouver and the lower mainland with her outstanding portrayal of Fairytale characters. It also gave her an amazing opportunity to share her heart and talent with Childrens Charities; BC Children’s hospital, The Miracle Network Telethon, Make a Wish Foundation, Canucks Autism Network, Dreams Take Flight-YVR, Girls Club and many more.
Just before 2020, Alyssa began performing her own tribute show to the great Patsy Cline.
Alyssa currently has a very full show schedule performing at festivals, private parties, vintage car events, seniors events and more! Her Patsy Cline Tribute has become much in demand with frequent sold out shows.
This year she will record a new full length album of her own original music and continue working on her fictional short stories and songs for children.
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