A Moment in Time with Orianthi
Interview by Kim Crain
Orianthi Panagaris, an Australian singer, songwriter, guitarist, started her career at an early age. She has performed with some of the biggest names in the music industry, and has worked with notable artists such as Michael Jackson, Carlos Santana, Alice Cooper, Prince, Steve Vai, Michael Bolton, ZZ Top, Adam Lambert, Richie Sambora, Dave Stewart, Carrie Underwood, Brian Ray, Dan Rothchild and Chris Wyse to name a few. In a world dominated by male musicians I had a great opportunity to sit down with one of the worlds finest female lead guitarists and Platinum recording artists, Orianthi. Kim Crain: How’s it going? Orianthi: Going great, super busy, recording away. I have a new album coming out called “Rock Candy,” that will be coming out in a couple of months. I have a live DVD coming out. It is a documentary we shot live here in Hollywood. Yes, and lots of stuff in the works. I am excited to get out there on the road and play some shows as well. Kim: Wow! That all sounds fantastic! You have been working hard! What age did you start playing guitar and whom were you influenced by? Orianthi: I started playing guitar at six years old. My dad put the guitar in my hands. He played me Elvis videos, BB King, Beatles, Roy Orbison. I started strumming first and then got into playing lead when I was 11 years old. When I saw Santana perform - I think it was the Dance of the Rainbow Serpent tour in Australia - I was just blown away by his guitar playing, and it really hit me, and I was like, this is what I want to do. Thanks to Carlos Santana and that song Europa, it really pulled me in. Kim: How did you end up working with one of the greatest entertainers on the planet, Michael Jackson? Orianthi: He saw some of my Youtube videos and then saw me on T.V. when I was playing guitar for Carrie 50
Orianthi -w/ Micheal Bearden,Richie Sambora Photo Credit - Kevin Mazur Underwood. Not too long after that we performed at the Grammys, and I got a message on Myspace when that was happening. I got a message from Michael saying; “you are what we are looking for, can you come in and meet me and be part of the band?” Kim: Wow, incredible, what are the chances? Orianthi: Working with Michael Jackson was an amazing experience. I made a lot of life long friends, from Michael Bearden to Judith Hill, and Jonathan Moffett. They have become such dear friends. Michael’s songs are not easy. They were definitely about the groove, the sounds, the rhythm parts, and just playing into it! I am a better musician for working with Michael, because he is a better performer. He pushed everybody in a really good way, so we could reach our highest potential. We took his perfectionism with us after working with him. He was so much about the ‘attention to detail.’ That makes a lot of difference when you have a lot of musicians onstage. It’s all about detail and making it all fall into place for the show to run smoothly and the entertainment value and all that. Also it’s the way you make people feel. As artists we are here to serve people. When you come to a show it’s an artist’s job to make the audience feel good and connect May/June 2022
HIGHWIRE DAZE
