Artist Information
From being cradled as a baby in the arms of Roy Orbison, to performing a duet with Willie Nelson, you would think that Tami Neilson lived a country music fantasy life. However, in between these monumental occurrences, The Neilson Family Band, with Tami’s parents and two brothers, were busking in the streets of small town Canada in order to put food on the table, performing gospel concerts to prisoners, and roaring across North America in an exploding RV on her way to open for Johnny Cash.
And then Tami left to start her own family on the other side of the world in New Zealand, where she now resides. From starting over at open mic nights to headlining theaters and major festivals across New Zealand, Tami has now won almost every music award possible, becoming one of New Zealand’s most beloved artists.
Her latest album, KINGMAKER shot to #1 on the NZ Top 40 charts and garnered critical acclaim in The Guardian, American Songwriter, MOJO and RollingStone. Her sold-out tour spawned a live album backed by the power of the 80-piece Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. Fans from around the globe have discovered her music through cameo appearances on the hit TV show “The Brokenwood Mysteries” and singing the theme song in the latest Spongebob Squarepants movie, “Saving Bikini Bottom” for which she wrote the opening and closing songs. This year, Tami will be appearing as part of the star-studded lineup for the upcoming PBS special on the music of Patsy Cline, filmed live at the Ryman in Nashville and fulfilling her lifelong dream of making her debut on the Grand Ole Opry.
