Jill Colucci and Tim Thompson Concert

Jill Colucci and Tim Thompson will perform in the main gallery at the Massillon Museum on Saturday, October 18, in the first concert of this season’s “Rhythms” music series.

Jill Colucci
If you watch television, go to movies, or listen to the radio, you’ve heard Jill Colucci’s musical work. By age seven, the western Stark County prodigy started a ten-year gig as a “regular” on Cleveland’s Gene Carroll Show. She moved in the early 1970s to California before she made her way to Nashville.

Her slightly raspy singing voice has become a fixture on television. She sang ABC’s network themes—“Something’s Happening” and “America’s Watching ABC”—as well as "Celebrate Me Home" for Disney Channel promotions. She was songwriter and vocalist for the "America’s Funniest Home Videos" show. Other commercial credits include Coors, Glidden, Oldsmobile, Taco Bell, Levi’s 501 Blues, McDonald’s, Chevrolet, Burger King, Coca-Cola, JC Penney, Doritos, Wal-Mart, and Toyota’s "I Love What You Do For Me" campaign.

Colucci initially rose to movie prominence in 1988, singing the main score to the film, “Mystic Pizza.” She has also been lead vocalist for “Where The Boys Are,” “Taps,” “All The Right Moves,” and “White Water Summer.” Her vocals have been featured on albums by Donna Summer, Julio Iglesias, Anne Murray, Laura Branigan, and Phoebe Snow. Colucci has also added her vocals to television shows such as "Miami Vice," "Designing Women," "Santa Barbara," "Spencer For Hire," and numerous "Movies of the Week."

As a songwriter, Colucci has made her mark on country music with hits such as the 1993 Billboard Song of the Year "No One Else on Earth" sung by Wynonna Judd, and ASCAP #1 Award and CMA #1 Award winners, "I’m Gonna Be Somebody" and "Anymore" by Travis Tritt. She wrote "Paradise," which was featured in “White Water Summer” and “Little Nikita.” Her cuts may be heard on gold albums by Anne Murray and Gloria Loring. Colluci’s songs have been recorded by other artists: Lacy J. Dalton, Michelle Wright, Richard Carpenter, Kennedy Rose, Larry Stewart, Mark Beeson, Andy Childs, and Akina Nakamori. Colucci has now released an album of her own songs—"No Regrets," featuring her hit compositions "No One Else on Earth," "Anymore," and "He Would Be Sixteen."

Travis Tritt said, "Jill Colucci is one of the most gifted songwriters I have ever worked with. She has tremendous flair for capturing deep heartfelt emotion in her lyrics and melodies. That is what makes her stand out!" Wynonna Judd said, "Jill is my kind of songwriter! She has the guts to come straight out about her inner feelings—something I find is hard to get from songwriters these days. ‘No One Else On Earth’ gave me the sass I was looking for and it became one of my all time favorite songs in the history of the universe. My ‘sister-friend’ Jill kicks the big ‘booty.’ Go girl!" To learn more about Jill Colucci, visit http://www.jillcolucci.com/.

Tim Thompson
Tim Thompson grew up in a musical Minnesota family. By the age of nine he played the piano. By fourteen, he played the guitar professionally.

Since his 1993 arrival in Nashville, he has produced records for Kerrville Folk Festival winner Mike Brandon and Kerrville Folk Festival finalist Nelda Sisk. He has written songs for Tirk Wilder and the folk-rock group Jamie-Sue Seal and the Radiotown Flyers. He wrote the theme songs for the television series “Walker Texas Ranger” and The Amber Foundation (for missing children).

Thompson’s versatility is reflected in his intricate and energetic fingerstyle interpretations of classics. On his “Bring on the Giants” CD, he sings his intelligent lyrics in his signature style—like Colucci, a raspy voice. “Revved Up,” his most recent release, as well as previous efforts, “Cathedral” and “Christmas,” features acoustic guitar solos; “Faces” focuses on his talent as a solo jazz guitarist.

Last winter’s quarterly issue of Wood and Steel wrote about Thompson: “Meticulous fingerstyle…jaw-dropping technique…chameleonic.” To learn more about Tim Thompson, visit http://www.timthompsonguitar.com/.

Concert Details
The doors will open at 7:30 p.m.; Colucci and Thompson will take the stage at 8:00 p.m.
The $20 per-person pre-sale ($18 for Massillon Museum members) may be purchased in advance by calling the Massillon Museum at 330-833-4061 by visiting http://www.massillonmuseum.org/. Tickets will be sold at the door ($22 non-members, $20 Massillon Museum members) as long as seats remain available. Cash, checks, and Visa and MasterCard are accepted. The concert is open to the public.

Community members have stepped forward to make the Museum’s music series possible: Canton/Stark County Convention and Visitors’ Bureau; Affinity Medical Center; A.A. Hammersmith Insurance, Inc.; Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffith and Dougherty Co.; and The Eye Clinic, Inc. WKSU is the media sponsor.

The Massillon Museum hosts out-of-the-mainstream musicians in the intimate setting of its main gallery to broaden the arts that it offers to the community. Remaining Saturday night concerts in the 2008–2009 season are: Kristine Jackson (http://www.kjblues.com/) with opener Jeff Poulos Blues Review (http://www.jeffpoulosblues.com/) on November 29; Marti Jones and Don Dixon (http://www.martijonesdixon.com/ and dondixonmusic.com) with opener Saturday Night Fish Fry on January 31; Michael Searching Bear (searchingbearflutes.com) on March 7; and Dominick Farinacci (dominickfarinacci.com) on March 28.

The Massillon Museum is located at 121 Lincoln Way East, in downtown Massillon. Free parking is available on adjacent streets and in nearby city lots.
For more information, call the Museum at 330-833-4061 or visit http://www.massillonmuseum.org/.

Media Contacts:
Christine Shearer, Massillon Museum Executive Director - 330-833-4061
Margy Vogt, Massillon Museum PR Coordinator - 330-832-8469 or 330-844-1525