Biography

Sweet and sassy, with a biting sense of humor aptly defines gutsy music veteran songstress, Jeanie Slusarek, aka “Miss Jeanie.” The red haired Jeanie emotes with the hard worn confidence earned from decades on stage.

Hailing from Steubenville, Ohio, Jeanie’s interest in music developed under her mother’s influence as she was a fixture on local radio. Her fondest childhood memories were listening to 45’s imitating the current country, rock, and blues singers, while grasping a hairbrush in her bedroom. Jeanie grabbed every chance she got to step on stage, wowing audiences with such a big voice from a little girl. She continued performing with her family in the group appropriately titled “All In The Family,” learning to play the guitar and belting out classics like a human jukebox. She knew immediately that the stage was her home. She was a natural with an emotive little catch in her voice and displaying a confidence on stage beyond her years.

Jeanie’s musical influences were strong females, Brenda Lee, Lynn Anderson and Barbara Mandrell, in addition to “The King” Elvis Presley, and the lush arrangements of the big bands. Tuning in each week, she absorbed the sounds featured on radio and TV favorites “The Arthur Godfrey Time” and “The Lawrence Welk Show.”

Her latest release, Sweet Sarcastic is a joyful musical romp from honky-tonking, hell-raising ditties to a jazzy torch ballad, A World Without You, to the last cut, a poignant ode, All the Lights Are On In Heaven. Also featured on the 12 song CD is her self-penned, Summer’s Gone. “I’ve worked on this tune for years and I finally thought it was ready,” recalls Jeanie. She is a woman who is clearly comfortable in her skin, struttin’ her stuff and having a foot tappin’ blast.

Her powerful vocals are buoyed by the competent and versatile production of Texas honky-tonker, Lonnie Spiker. Well known vocal coach, singer-songwriter, Judy Rodman also gets kudos for her help in the studio and penning the title cut, Sweet Sarcastic with Spiker and A Cloud of Dust. This talented veteran is far from retirement and as George Jones would croon, “She Don’t Need No Rockin’ Chair.”