Biography
Who is Alannah Myles?
Early life and background
Alannah Myles was born Alannah Byles on December 25, 1958, in Toronto, Ontario. She was the second of five children born to William Douglas Byles, a figure in the Canadian broadcasting industry who was inducted into the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame in 1997. She grew up in Ontario, where she spent her childhood years learning to compose and perform music. By age nine, she began writing her own songs, and by age 12, she performed with a songwriting group at the Kiwanis Music Festival in Toronto.
Entering the music industry
At age 18, Alannah began performing solo gigs across southern Ontario. During this time, she met Christopher Ward, a recording artist associated with Warner Music Group. With Ward as a collaborator, she formed a band and played cover versions of rock and blues songs while she continued to work on her own original material. At age 19, she changed her surname from Byles to pursue a career in entertainment.
Before her music career took off, she appeared in television commercials to pay for demo tapes. She faced numerous rejections in Canada but eventually recorded masters for songs like Who Loves You and a video demo for Just One Kiss. With financing from Christopher Ward and MuchMusic, she signed her first record contract with Atlantic Records in 1987. Before becoming a full-time recording artist, she appeared in a 1984 episode of The Kids of Degrassi Street and a 1989 episode of War of the Worlds.
Chart success and awards
In May 1989, Warner Music Canada released her self-titled debut album, Alannah Myles. This record produced four Top 40 hits, including Love Is, Lover Of Mine, Still Got This Thing, and the song Black Velvet. The single Black Velvet reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1990 and became a major international hit. It was recognized by ASCAP as one of the most played songs on the radio during 1989 and 1990. The debut album was certified Diamond by the Canadian Recording Industry Association for selling over one million units in Canada.
Alannah Myles won the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 1991 for Black Velvet. She also received three Juno Awards for her work. In 1992, she released her second album, Rockinghorse, which featured singles such as Song Instead Of a Kiss and Our World, Our Times. This album earned her another Grammy nomination. She continued to release music throughout the 1990s and 2000s, including albums like A-lan-nah and Arival.
Later career and independent projects
In the 2000s, Alannah Myles shifted toward independent releases and collaborations. In 2005, she participated in Melodifestivalen, the Swedish national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, performing the song We Got It All with the band K2. She released an Elvis Tribute EP in 2007 and her fifth studio album, Black Velvet, in 2008. This album included new recordings and was co-produced by Myles herself.
In 2014, she repackaged her Black Velvet album as 85bpm to mark her 25th anniversary in the music industry. This release featured new photography by Deborah Samuel and a newly recorded version of Can't Stand the Rain, featuring guitarist Jeff Healey. She distributed this project through her own label, Fascinate inc. Throughout her career, she has released six studio albums, ranging from her debut in 1989 to 85bpm in 2014.
Birthday and age
Alannah Myles was born on December 25, 1958, which makes Alannah 67 years old today. That birthday falls under the Capricorn sign. Alannah shares the date with 25 other famous people.
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