Her bio reads that she didn't make the cheerleading squad at 14, and subsequently turned to singing and songwriting. And shortly thereafter was accepted at and attended the prestigious Berklee College Of Music in Boston. And shortly thereafter graduated with honors from Rutgers.Deborah Holland was a virtual unknown in the music world until 1987, when she was plucked from obscurity to front the first post-Police supergroup featuring Stewart Copeland, Andy Summers and jazz virtuoso bassist Stanley Clarke. Its short life as "Rush Hour" was followed by Summers' departure and a subsequent renaming to "Animal Logic" by Miles Copeland, long-time manager of The Police.
Two CD's and a limited amount of commercial success followed before the band spilt at the end of 1991.
What remains are a collection of intelligent and sophisticated songs rarely heard in the Pop-Rock world, composed and sung almost exclusively by Deborah Holland.
Holland has gone on to make four solo CD's and form a new female supergroup called "The Refugees" with Wendy Waldman and Cindy Bullens, all while finishing a Master's, becoming a professor at Cal State Los Angeles, and raising a family with two boys.
Today Holland's lyrics often reach for satire and humor mixed with a direct insight and candor that's been compared to Christine Lavin and Loudon Wainwright. While many comparable voices have begun to wilt over time, Holland's has only become fuller and richer, combined with a learned control, perfect pitch, and subtleties that make a trained ear smile.
If you have the opportunity to hear Deborah Holland live, make the time to do so. You'll likely be amazed at how such an incredible talent has passed under so many radars for such a long time. And you'll smile that you've experienced one of America's best singer-songwriters.
Animal Logic - Rose Colored Glasses
Deborah Holland's Web Site
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