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Singer Rises to Stardom Through MySpace and iTunes

by Terrence O'Brien on December 18, 2007 at 02:47 PM

Ingrid Michaelson Rises to Stardom Through MySpace and iTunes
Part of the allure of the Internet is that it levels the playing field. Artists can put their wares out there for all to read, hear, watch etc. Sometimes, however, it's hard to pick out the diamonds in the digital rough.

But their are the occasional Cinderella stories. Joining the ranks of Lily Allen as one of those stars who has risen to fame and fortune (well relative fame and fortune) through purely nontraditional means is Staten Island singer Ingrid Michaelson.

Ingrid got her start playing bars and coffee shops like Martini Red and the Muddy Cup in her native Staten Island, but it was that nefarious beast MySpace that brought her to national attention. It was there that she posted tracks from her album 'Boys and Girls' and grabbed the attention of Lynn Grossman, owner of Secret Road, a music licensing and artist management company.

From there it has been an unstoppable climb to the top for Ingrid, who in May was still teaching an after-school program at the Staten Island Children's Museum. First, 'Grey's Anatomy' picked up one of her songs for its soundtrack, then Gap used one of her tunes in a commercial. Now she's selling out the Bowery Ballroom in New York City, and has the number two record on iTunes' pop charts. All of this happened without resorting to many of the traditional means of promotion. Ingrid has no record label, and her Bowery Ballroom show sold out with out any advertising beyond her MySpace page.

But Ingrid has not let her meteoric rise go to her head. She still makes regular appearances at her old haunts when she isn't on tour, and even recognizes the fragility of her unexpected success, "I worry this is all going to disappear in a few months, and I'll have to wait tables again."

From the New York Times

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Tags: apple, ingrid michaelson, IngridMichaelson, internet, itunes, music, myspace

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