ABOUT GAILENE

OVER 40 YEARS OF MUSICAL PERFORMANCE HISTORY:  Since 1978, Gailene Elliott has established herself as both a stage performer and studio recording artist. Her name resonates through the tapestry of hundreds of musical projects in the vibrant Bay Area music scene.

IT ALL STARTED AT HOME

Gailene started playing guitar and singing with her family at 8 years old. Her mother and father were both passionate singers. Her father played accordion and sang fluently in English, Spanish and Italian.  Her older brother and musical mentor, Jimmy, sang and played guitar and her four other siblings loved to sing.

GOING PRO

Gailene started performing solo, singing and playing guitar in her formative college years in Santa Barbara. She moved to Sonoma County around the age of 19 and continued playing solo in local venues.

FIRST PACKED HOUSE

At age 19, an auspicious encounter occurred when the world-renowned poet, Robert Bly, invited Gailene to grace his poetry reading at Sonoma State University where she was studying to finish her BS Degree in Psychology. Robert asked her to sing one song. The auditorium was packed to capacity and the experience marked a truly enchanting moment in the nascent artist’s journey.  This encounter later evolved into a personal call from Robert Bly himself, summoning her to perform one song before a riveted audience at the Institute of Imaginal Studies in Petaluma, again opening for his poetry reading and writing clinic.

SHE’S PLAYED WITH THE BEST

Gailene’s musical collaborations span cities rich in soul and artistic heritage:  Los Angeles, New Orleans, San Francisco, Cabo San Lucas, and most of the cities in the greater North Bay Area of California. Her first demo, in the early ’90’s, is a compilation of four songs featuring an impressive array of talents (please google each person’s name for a list of their credits as they are to much to mention here), including:

Steve Kimock, Erik Schramm and Vernon Black (guitars), Kevin Hayes (drums), Rock Deadrick (percussion), Richard “Ozelle” Cousins (bass), Rita Thies and Keith Crossan (saxophones), Howard Wales (piano), and Ivan Neville, contributing to both percussion and vocal arrangements.

Throughout her musical journey, Gailene has been at the forefront as a vocalist and guitarist in numerous bands. Her distinctive voice is likely to have graced your ears on musical project or commercials on Sonoma and Marin County radio stations. Since the age of 24, Gailene has been in several popular Bay Area Bands including:

• The Mix
• I World International Rockers
• The Jimmy Dillon Band
• Bay City Vocals (an a cappella group who sang The National Anthem for the Giants at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park).
• The HiBeams
• The New Copasetics
• Currently with her 4 piece band, Mad Honey and her duet with husband Jay Elliott on bass.

WALKIN’ TO NEW ORLEANS

Gailene moved to New Orleans in 1991 and was soon working in a band with world-renowned bassist, George Porter Jr, and the Meters keyboardist Art Neville in their side band Runnin’ Pardners. Gailene was also singing and playing guitar a couple of nights a week in the French Quarter on Bourbon Street as a featured artist with Sally Townes, and did several local commercials and recording projects while residing in N’awlins.

JOHN LEE HOOKER AND KEB’ MO’

Gailene was asked by Keb’ Mo’s manager “JB” to open for Keb’Mo’ at the old Sweetwater in Mill Valley. She invited a previous bandmate, Cole Tate to join her for that sold out show. Then at the next Sweetwater gig, Gailene’s band, The HiBeams, opened for John Lee Hooker. After opening for John Lee, the blues master asked Gailene and her horn section, Rita Thies and Jill Wattles, to join him on stage for a couple songs. He consequently asked Carlos Santana to join them all on stage.  A night to remember!

Gailene’s performances have graced the Luther Burbank Performing Arts center, solo as a featured vocalist of Sonoma County and later with her bands. Her performances resonate through years of art festivals in Sonoma and Marin County and the Sausalito Arts Festival.

In the last 40 years, this veteran’s vocal proficiency has made her a sought-after asset for many recording studios in the San Francisco North Bay Area.

DOCUMENTARY SOUNDTRACK

Gailene was the sole vocalist on the historical 2018 LGBTQ documentary (and the movie’s trailer) “Ruminations”, a revealing profile following the iconoclast Rumi Missabu, the co-founder of San Francisco’s infamous group The Cockettes who were a foundation of San Francisco’s queer artist movement from 1979 to 1982. Movie directed by Robert James.

Learn More About Ruminations Here…

ROCKSTAR TEACHER

Beyond the stage, Gailene imparts her wisdom as a full-time voice and performance instructor, catering to every level of artist from beginners to touring musicians. She also teaches introductory guitar. Working with many local singer-songwriters, Gailene helps artists improve their voice, guitar technique, song structure and their live and studio performance of each song, and aids in the production of their songs personally in the  recording studio.  Gailene takes many of her students (all ages) to local performing arts venues throughout the summer to showcase their talents in her Student Showcase, Summer Sessions.

A MATTER OF DEGREES

Gailene has always had a fascination with the field of psychology. Starting at age 17, in college and continuing, she has acquired a vast education in that field and supportive fields. Her BA and BS college degrees encompass child psychology, counseling, anatomy and physiology, with a special focus on the psychology, anatomy and physiology of the voice and of performing. Her artistic foundation is deeply rooted in years of dedicated education and a deep exploration of the interplay between these diverse fields, creating a magical synergy that fuels and pervades her creative endeavors.