Wendy McDowell

Wendy McDowell was born in Cocoa Beach, FL; probably a great place to find work with the space program, or as a genie. Instead, she had grand dreams of being a female rock star. A self-taught guitarist, drummer, vocalist, and songwriter, at 15 she began working with bands from the area. In the mid-'80s she joined a girl group called <a href="spotify:artist:5nk5uOEXZAX7iKFHRF5Dp5">Out of Control</a>. Her first gig with the band was at a rowdy biker bar in Petersburg, where one of the fans actually licked her arm and told her she was a good drummer, even though she was female.

A little at a time, <a href="spotify:artist:0elA30wLp3RmiPaGtU2jhQ">McDowell</a> began to leave her spot in the background as drummer or guitarist, to step in front and sing. Many of the songs she did were her own original numbers. Between 1989 and 1994, <a href="spotify:artist:0elA30wLp3RmiPaGtU2jhQ">McDowell</a> recorded and released a number of cassettes. In 1996, while working as frontwoman with a band called Tin Angel, she released her first album, self-titled, for the band. It was co-produced by Stan Lych, a longtime drummer with <a href="spotify:artist:2UZMlIwnkgAEDBsw1Rejkn">Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers</a>. Some of the other artists who lent their talents to the album were drummers Sergio Castillo Simmons and Sherri Waggoner, guitarist Randy Jackson, flutist Jim Sessody, saxophonist <a href="spotify:artist:4vQYEC3H6LhajmLK3nS3w5">Mark Rivera</a>, and many others.

In 1999, <a href="spotify:artist:0elA30wLp3RmiPaGtU2jhQ">McDowell</a> finally got the chance to go solo on a six-track EP titled Lonely World. For 2001, she wrapped up work on a full-length album, Shadows & Mazes. A few of the folk-rock numbers fans can sample from <a href="spotify:artist:0elA30wLp3RmiPaGtU2jhQ">McDowell</a>'s recordings are "Pink & Blue," "I'm Not Your Enemy," "Any Other Way," "All in Good Time," and "Revelation." ~ Charlotte Dillon