Orianthi is featured in the current print issue of Rolling Stone and in Guitar Edge magazine, while “According to You,” the first single from her major label debut Believe, has recently made a quite a splash on pop radio (watch the video here). Believe is available for download on iTunes, and be sure to visit Orianthi.com for more information and updates from this rising star.

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Believe in stores now and available via Amazon!

At 24 years old, Orianthi has already experienced what most aspiring musicians only dream of. She’s opened for her hero (Steve Vai), backed an Idol (Carrie Underwood), traded solos with a legend (Carlos Santana) and shared the stage with the King of Pop (Michael Jackson). What’s left to conquer? The world stage, for one, and this guitar wunderkind has her sights clearly set on the road ahead.

After a performance with Carrie Underwood on stage at the 2009 Grammy Awards the blogosphere was buzzing with news of this little-known guitar prodigy. It prompted Michael Jackson to call with an offer for her to be his guitarist for his dates at the O2 Arena in London. When offered the gig in Michael Jackson’s live band, Orianthi joined a prestigious line of guitar players including Eddie Van Halen, Santana, Slash, Steve Stevens, Jennifer Batten and Larry Carlton. Sadly the tour was not to be and music lost an icon.

Orianthi reflects,

“Working with Michael was a life-changing experience. One I will never forget.”

Her story starts in Adelaide on the southern tip of Australia where, at the age of six, Orianthi began taking an interest in her dad’s record collection.

“Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Cream, Santana… he was into guitar players that are real songwriters,” she boasts.

Growing up in the 80s, a decade remembered for its many guitar greats, Orianthi also listened to a lot of Whitesnake, Van Halen and Def Leppard. Her father, who used to be a player in a Greek band, also kept plenty of instruments around the house, and it didn’t take long before Orianthi strummed her first chord. Mastering the six-string came naturally.

“When I was 11, Carlos Santana came to play Adelaide and that show really affected me,” she recounts. “I begged my dad to get me a second hand electric guitar so I could be like Carlos, and that was it, no more acoustic. After that, I would buy all of Carlos’ videos — on VHS! — which I kept rewinding to try and learn his solos. I totally wore out the tapes.”

Some seven years later when Carlos Santana passed through Adelaide again Carlos’ brother arranged a sound-check meeting between the guitar god and his young disciple after hearing some of her music. A sound check jam evolved into an invitation to join him on stage where Orianthi played for about 35 minutes and took a solo in front of a hometown crowd. Performances, tours and guest appearances with Steve Vai, ZZ Top and Prince have kept Orianthi busy up to this point.

But guitar is far from Orianthi’s only means of expression. Before she received the call from the King of Pop, Orianthi had already been hard at work on her upcoming album, Believe, on which she sings, writes and leads her own band. Working with Geffen Records Chairman and A&R veteran Ron Fair and producer Howard Benson (All American Rejects, Daughtry, My Chemical Romance, Three Days Grace) her fierceness of character has made its way to songs that will simply knock the socks off of any boy in the rock star schoolyard.

Orianthi packs modern girl-power punch into every turn of phrase, but it’s the shredding that takes her brand of rock to an entirely new level. Songs like “Suffocated” and “Think Like A Man” are anthemic rock tracks recalling at times Evanescence, Avril Lavigne, Paramore and even a less-music row more-sunset strip Taylor Swift. First single “According To You” is a catchy tale of an ungrateful boyfriend with a killer guitar solo. The result: a thunderous, hook and riff driven debut that sounds larger than life. If, for a moment, you’ve thought the music world could use another taste of The Runaways’ Joan Jett, let me introduce you to Orianthi.

Contest:

I am pleased to offer one lucky reader an autographed copy of Orianthi’s new CD Believe, and the poster on the left to go along with it!

Entering is simple. Just leave a comment at the bottom, and you will be automatically entered into the drawing. On the final day, I will select one winner via random.org and notify them by email!

Rules:

You must be at least 13 years old and a resident of the continental U.S. to win. You may enter once per day. All duplicates will be removed. Contest ends on 11/25.

[images/bio: Total Assault]

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Also out now is the music video for “According to You.” Watch Orianthi’s fingers fly across the fretboard as she rocks out with her band, proving yet again that a little attitude and a lot of talent can go a long way.

Orianthi first picked up a guitar at age 6 and since then has never looked back. She has opened for Steve Vai, played with Carlos Santana, ZZ Top and Prince, and blew away the Grammy audience with her performance alongside Carrie Underwood. Most recently she was hand-picked to by the late King of Pop himself to be the guitarist on his tour, and she is featured prominently in This Is It, the Michael Jackson documentary to be released this Wednesday, the 28th.

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Preorder Believe and check out the video below, showing Orianthi rehearsing with Michael Jackson for This Is It!

[image: Total Assault]

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Orianthi was only six years old when her love for the guitar began. She took an interest in her dad’s album collection, which included greats such as ”Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Cream, Santana… he was into guitar players that are real songwriters”.

At 11, her passion for guitar erupted,

“When I was 11, Carlos Santana came to play Adelaide and that show really affected me. I begged my dad to get me a second hand electric guitar so I could be like Carlos, and that was it, no more acoustic. After that, I would buy all of Carlos’ videos — on VHS! — which I kept rewinding to try and learn his solos. I totally wore out the tapes.”

Carlos Santana has stated that if he decides to pass the baton, Orianthi would be his first choice.

Now, at 24, Orianthi has an amazing musical resume under her belt, having shared the stage with Carlos Santana, Steve Vai, ZZ Top, Carrie Underwood and Prince, to name a few. Michael Jackson knew talent when he heard it, that’s for sure. MJ sent Orianthi an email through her MySpace account, asking her to audition for him. She played the solo from “Beat It”, saying,

“I have never been so nervous, I just didn’t want to mess it up. After he heard it, he took me by the arm and walked me back and forth across the stage, saying ‘Can you play it while walking with me?’ He was walking really fast. I said I could, and he hired me right there.”

Here is a video of Orianthi playing the “Beat It” solo on 102.7 KIISFM. No wonder Michael Jackson hired her immediately!

Orianthi was one of the last people to see Michael Jackson before he died. They were rehearsing, and she said that he was in great spirits, thanking the crew, saying that he didn’t want to change a thing. He was very excited. Then he was gone.

“We were all devastated. I didn’t want to believe it… I wanted to see the fans’ faces light up that first time he took the stage, give them a chance to see what we had seen.”

Orianthi will be featured heavily in the upcoming documentary This Is It, which will feature footage of rehearsals as well as behind the scenes videos of Michael Jackson’s planned tour of the same name. Orianthi stated,

“There were cameras around all the time, we just didn’t notice them after awhile. It will be very hard for (the crew) to sit through.”

For the past three years, Orianthi has been working on her upcoming album, Believe. I forgot to mention… Orianthi has a beautiful singing voice. On Believe she writes, sings and leads her own band. Produced by Howard Benson (All American Rejects, Daughtry, My Chemical Romance, Three Days Grace), Believe is due to be released on October 27th.

A songwriting guitar shredding master with a beautiful singing voice, charming personality and stunning looks? Seems too good to be true. Give her a chance, however, and Orianthi Panagaris will make you Believe.

[images: Total Assault]

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Introducing Orianthi, the guitar phenomenon who is featured prominently in the upcoming Michael Jackson concert documentary, This Is It.  Already a renowned musician, Orianthi has been playing guitar since the age of eleven and was discovered by legend Carlos Santana.  After playing with artists like Carrie Underwood, ZZ Top, and Prince, she received a MySpace message from Michael Jackson’s musical director asking her to audition for his comeback tour.  Following a test run with the King of Pop himself, she was selected as his lead guitarist for his O2 arena dates in London – a crowning acheivement for the 24 year old from Adelaide, Australia.

Now Orianthi is preparing to release her solo debut album, Believe, on October 27th.  In addition to her talent at guitar, Orianthi has a gorgeous voice and even sang at Michael Jackson’s Staples Center memorial service.  Even before starting rehearsals for his tour though, she was hard at work writing and recording the album with her band.  Believe is full of anthemic rock tracks with a sound reminiscent of Paramore or Evanescence, but entirely Orianthi thanks to her signature shreds and thunderous hooks.  Her first single, “According to You” is a catchy tale of an ungrateful boyfriend, featuring a killer guitar solo.

(Fun fact: the guitar pictured on her album cover was one of MJ’s favorite guitars!)

[image: Total Assault]

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