Laura Roppé
Encyclopedia
Laura Roppé is an American
singer-songwriter
and author
from San Diego, California
. Her first album, Girl Like This, was self-released in 2008 to popular acclaim. Shortly afterwards she contracted and successfully treated cancer
, and her second album, I'm Still Here, led to her reaching #3 on Billboard Magazine's Uncharted Artists list in 2011. She is set to release a memoir titled Rocking the Pink: Finding Myself on the Other Side of Cancer in Spring 2012.
, and first got her musical start performing in high school plays. After high school she attended UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television as a theater major, where she was classmates with actors Jack Black
, Michael Goorjian, and Marco Sanchez
. She graduated UCLA in 1991, and then attended law school.
Roppé married and began raising children while working as a San Diego attorney.
in 2006, she's stated she was so overcome by her sense of accomplishment that she made a personal vow to resume music. Later that year she became vocalist of the cover band CoolBandLuke, which covered artists as varied as Led Zeppelin
, Janis Joplin
, Blondie
, Lucinda Williams
, and Kelly Clarkson
.
. She brought her material to Grammy-nominated producer Steve Wetherbee, who encouraged her to make a full-length album. On August 13, 2008, Roppé self-released her first album Girl Like This. Roppé wrote all the tracks, and it was produced by Steve Wetherbee. Matthew Embree played electric and acoustic guitar on several tracks, as well as Marc Intravaia, Dennis Caplinger, Bob Sale, and Jennifer Argenti.
Reception
In May 2008, Roppé was named runner-up in Kenny Chesney
's Next Big Star Contest in San Diego, for the single of the album "Mama Needs a Girls' Night Out."
In August 2008 Roppé gave a copy of her new CD to "Little Tommy" Sablan, the producer of her favorite radio morning show. The next day her song "Float Away" aired on WSTR Star 94.1
, with Sablan quoting on air "I was blown away by the production and the sound. I just like the sound of her voice." There were numerous listener calls asking for the song, and it became a station staple. Roppé then won second place in the 2008 New Country 95.7 local talent competition, and she was signed by a United Kingdom
label to distribute the album overseas.
Cancer
In October 2008, Roppé was informed she had triple negative breast cancer
. She immediately left her job as an attorney and underwent surgery, along with seven months of chemotherapy
and radiation treatments. She was declared cancer-free in 2009, although she's not in full remission
. Throughout the ordeal Roppé continued to write music.
Later tour
Afterwards in 2009, Girl Like This was nominated for Album of the Year, and the single "Float Away" won American Single of the Year at the Los Angeles Music Awards in Hollywood, California. She promptly launched a tour in the United Kingdom
to support the album, and her music became popular on multiple BBC radio
markets. At one point it reached No. 5 on the Amazon.com
UK charts.
Reception
The February 2011 edition of Maverick Magazine said the album was a five-star "must-have," and music blog Wildy's World called it a "brilliant and emotionally naked artistic turn." By February 9, 2011, Billboard Magazine had ranked Roppé as number six worldwide on their Uncharted Music Chart, which is a listing of the Top 50 emerging artists with significant internet presence. As of May 19, 2011, Roppé had remained on the Uncharted Billboard for over 23 weeks, with a peak number of 3.
in mid-January 2011, and within 24 hours it earned her over 20,000 views. It obtained 50,000 views during its first week, and charted Top 30 or higher on YouTube in thirteen countries. It also earned her an interview with Billboard. The single also charted on Myspace
.
Around the release of "George Clooney," she also posted an animated video for her song "Heart Inside a Palm," which amassed over 250,000 hits in five days.
Her latest “I’m Still Here,” video has surpassed a million YouTube views and had over 13,000 views during its first 12 hours online. http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/jam-session/2011/oct/29/laura-roppes-cancer-survival-songvideo-hits-1-mill/
, country, even a sprinkling of bluegrass
when the mood strikes me. It’s melodic...and typically happy and hopeful. Though sometimes a bit testy, if I have something urgent to say.” She has referenced Janis Joplin
, Patsy Cline
, Sandy Denny
, Bonnie Raitt
, Faith Hill
, and Carly Simon
as influences. Other influences include Karen Carpenter
, Koko Taylor
, Etta James
, Tina Turner
, James Taylor
, and Joni Mitchell
.
in New York
, to publish the memoir. To be titled Rocking the Pink: Finding Myself on the Other Side of Cancer, it is slated to come out in Spring 2012. She has quoted that “My book is a life adventure/self-realization/love story/music/cancer memoir.”
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
from San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. Her first album, Girl Like This, was self-released in 2008 to popular acclaim. Shortly afterwards she contracted and successfully treated cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, and her second album, I'm Still Here, led to her reaching #3 on Billboard Magazine's Uncharted Artists list in 2011. She is set to release a memoir titled Rocking the Pink: Finding Myself on the Other Side of Cancer in Spring 2012.
Early life, education
Laura Roppé was raised in San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, and first got her musical start performing in high school plays. After high school she attended UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television as a theater major, where she was classmates with actors Jack Black
Jack Black
Jack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys...
, Michael Goorjian, and Marco Sanchez
Marco Sanchez
-Life and career:The son of Cuban immigrants, and the youngest of 4 siblings, Marco Sanchez was raised in Palm Desert, California. Having studied theater throughout junior high and high school, he entered the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television in 1988. In the summer of 1989, he studied...
. She graduated UCLA in 1991, and then attended law school.
Roppé married and began raising children while working as a San Diego attorney.
Music career
After completing her first marathonMarathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
in 2006, she's stated she was so overcome by her sense of accomplishment that she made a personal vow to resume music. Later that year she became vocalist of the cover band CoolBandLuke, which covered artists as varied as Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
, Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
, Lucinda Williams
Lucinda Williams
Lucinda Williams is an American rock, folk, blues and country music singer and songwriter. She recorded her first albums in 1978 and 1980 in a traditional country and blues style and received very little attention from radio, the media, or the public. In 1988, she released her self-titled album,...
, and Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
.
Girl Like This (2008)
In 2007, Roppé was inspired by the completion of a second marathon to release an album of original songs within the year. In early 2008, she made a demo with her cousin Matthew Embree of Rx BanditsRx Bandits
RX Bandits is a four-piece band based in Seal Beach, California. The band formed in 1995 in Orange County, California. They have appeared on the Vans Warped Tour, at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and at The Bamboozle.-Early years :Originally known as...
. She brought her material to Grammy-nominated producer Steve Wetherbee, who encouraged her to make a full-length album. On August 13, 2008, Roppé self-released her first album Girl Like This. Roppé wrote all the tracks, and it was produced by Steve Wetherbee. Matthew Embree played electric and acoustic guitar on several tracks, as well as Marc Intravaia, Dennis Caplinger, Bob Sale, and Jennifer Argenti.
Reception
In May 2008, Roppé was named runner-up in Kenny Chesney
Kenny Chesney
Kenneth "Kenny" Arnold Chesney is an American country music singer and songwriter. Chesney has recorded 15 albums, 14 of which have been certified gold or higher by the RIAA. He has also produced more than 30 Top Ten singles on the U.S...
's Next Big Star Contest in San Diego, for the single of the album "Mama Needs a Girls' Night Out."
In August 2008 Roppé gave a copy of her new CD to "Little Tommy" Sablan, the producer of her favorite radio morning show. The next day her song "Float Away" aired on WSTR Star 94.1
WSTR (FM)
WSTR is an Atlanta FM radio station airing an Hot Adult Contemporary format during the week and a 1990's pop music format on weekends. It is owned by Lincoln Financial Media, and has Smyrna, Georgia as its city of license.-History:...
, with Sablan quoting on air "I was blown away by the production and the sound. I just like the sound of her voice." There were numerous listener calls asking for the song, and it became a station staple. Roppé then won second place in the 2008 New Country 95.7 local talent competition, and she was signed by a United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
label to distribute the album overseas.
Cancer
In October 2008, Roppé was informed she had triple negative breast cancer
Triple Negative Breast Cancer
Triple-negative breast cancer refers to any breast cancer that does not express the genes for estrogen receptor , progesterone receptor or Her2/neu. Triple negative is sometimes used as a surrogate term for basal-like, however more detailed classification is possible providing better guidance for...
. She immediately left her job as an attorney and underwent surgery, along with seven months of chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
and radiation treatments. She was declared cancer-free in 2009, although she's not in full remission
Cure
A cure is a completely effective treatment for a disease.The Cure is an English rock band.Cure, or similar, may also refer to:-Film and television:* The Cure , a short film starring Charlie Chaplin...
. Throughout the ordeal Roppé continued to write music.
Later tour
Afterwards in 2009, Girl Like This was nominated for Album of the Year, and the single "Float Away" won American Single of the Year at the Los Angeles Music Awards in Hollywood, California. She promptly launched a tour in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to support the album, and her music became popular on multiple BBC radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
markets. At one point it reached No. 5 on the Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
UK charts.
I'm Still Here (2011)
In 2011, Roppé released her second album, I'm Still Here. Many of the tracks had been written while Roppé was undergoing cancer treatments. The album was produced by her cousin Matthew Embree.Reception
The February 2011 edition of Maverick Magazine said the album was a five-star "must-have," and music blog Wildy's World called it a "brilliant and emotionally naked artistic turn." By February 9, 2011, Billboard Magazine had ranked Roppé as number six worldwide on their Uncharted Music Chart, which is a listing of the Top 50 emerging artists with significant internet presence. As of May 19, 2011, Roppé had remained on the Uncharted Billboard for over 23 weeks, with a peak number of 3.
YouTube singles
During her treatments, Roppé wrote a single entitled "George Clooney." She uploaded a music video of the track onto YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
in mid-January 2011, and within 24 hours it earned her over 20,000 views. It obtained 50,000 views during its first week, and charted Top 30 or higher on YouTube in thirteen countries. It also earned her an interview with Billboard. The single also charted on Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
.
Around the release of "George Clooney," she also posted an animated video for her song "Heart Inside a Palm," which amassed over 250,000 hits in five days.
Her latest “I’m Still Here,” video has surpassed a million YouTube views and had over 13,000 views during its first 12 hours online. http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/jam-session/2011/oct/29/laura-roppes-cancer-survival-songvideo-hits-1-mill/
Style
Roppé has stated “My music is an eclectic and organic blend of Americana, pop, rock, bluesBlues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, country, even a sprinkling of bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
when the mood strikes me. It’s melodic...and typically happy and hopeful. Though sometimes a bit testy, if I have something urgent to say.” She has referenced Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
, Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline , born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Gore, Virginia, was an American country music singer who enjoyed pop music crossover success during the era of the Nashville sound in the early 1960s...
, Sandy Denny
Sandy Denny
Sandy Denny , born Alexandra Elene Maclean Denny, was an English singer and songwriter, perhaps best known as the lead singer for the folk rock band Fairport Convention...
, Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
, Faith Hill
Faith Hill
Faith Hill is an American country singer. She is known both for her commercial success and her marriage to fellow country star Tim McGraw. Hill has sold more than 40 million records worldwide and accumulated eight number-one singles and three number-one albums on the U.S...
, and Carly Simon
Carly Simon
Carly Elisabeth Simon is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records, and has since been the recipient of two Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award for her work...
as influences. Other influences include Karen Carpenter
Karen Carpenter
Karen Anne Carpenter was an American singer and drummer. She and her brother, Richard, formed the 1970s duo The Carpenters. She was a drummer of exceptional skill, but she is best remembered for her vocal performances of idealistic romantic ballads of true love...
, Koko Taylor
Koko Taylor
Koko Taylor sometimes spelled KoKo Taylor was an American Chicago blues musician, popularly known as the "Queen of the Blues." She was known primarily for her rough, powerful vocals and traditional blues stylings....
, Etta James
Etta James
Etta James is an American blues, soul, rhythm and blues , rock and roll, gospel and jazz singer. In the 1950s and 1960s, she had her biggest success as a blues and R&B singer...
, Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
, James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
, and Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
.
Book
In 2010, Roppé worked on a memoir about her experiences undergoing cancer treatment. She has signed a book deal with Seal Press, an imprint of Perseus Books GroupPerseus Books Group
Perseus Books Group is an American publishing company founded in 1996 by investor Frank Pearl. It was named Publisher of the Year in 2007 by Publishers Weekly magazine for its role in taking on publishers formerly distributed by Publishers Group West and acquiring Avalon Publishing Group.In January...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, to publish the memoir. To be titled Rocking the Pink: Finding Myself on the Other Side of Cancer, it is slated to come out in Spring 2012. She has quoted that “My book is a life adventure/self-realization/love story/music/cancer memoir.”
External links
- Laura Roppé on MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Laura Roppé on TwitterTwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
- Laura Roppé on FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
- Laura Roppé on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....