Born:
June 23, 1975 - Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K.
Quote from KT Tunstall:
KT Tunstall describes her music on her official web site:
My songs examine and explore little specific emotions or situations or stories. They're kitchen table songs, like a conversation between me and one other person. It's almost like an alien has been sent to get emotional samples from human beings and put it all together on a record."
Growing Up:
KT Tunstall's mother is of Chinese descent and her father is Irish. She grew up in the college town of St. Andrews, Scotland. KT Tunstall attended high school in St. Andrews and then also studied at the Kent School prep school in Connecticut in the U.S. She began writing songs as a teenager, but she didn't seriously focus on a music career until she was in her 20's.
UK Breakthrough:
KT Tunstall's first album Eye to the Telescope received little attention upon its initial release in 2004. However, her big breakthrough came with a performance of "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" <Listen> on the U.K. television show Later With Jools Holland. She was a last-minute replacement for U.S. rapper Nas. Enough viewers were impressed that the song began to climb the charts and ended up in the U.K. top 30.
Trivia Fact About KT Tunstall:
KT Tunstall views Ella Fitzgerald as her singing teacher. She spent hours as a young girl listening to a tape of Ella singing.
Crossing the Atlantic:
The success of "Black Horse and a Cherry Tree" forced the rerelease of KT Tunstall's debut album. Eye to the Telescope eventually rose to #3 on the U.K. album chart and generated 3 more hit singles. The album was nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize, and KT Tunstall turned in a well-received performance at the 2005 Glastonbury Festival.
On January 20, 2006 KT Tunstall appeared on the Today Show in the U.S. singing "Black Horse and a Cherry Tree" and once again generated a buzz from a national audience. Her album Eye to the Telescope was released in the U.S. February 7, 2006.
