from the CD entitled
'
Inspired:
Standards - Good
For the Soul'/ courtesy of Concord Records, used with
permission.
"Inspired: Standards - Good
For the Soul" In Stores
March 15th
Mary Haskell, a successful
television actress and
mother of two, has joined
the Concord Records family
to bring the world her first
full-length album-Inspired:
Standards-Good For the Soul.
On this beautifully crafted
collection of classic
standards, Mary combines the
music she loves with her
deep faith and spirituality
to create a CD that will
bring hope to listeners.
Each song on Inspired:
Standards-Good For the Soul
carries a special importance
for Mary and was carefully
chosen for its ability to
transcend the words and
resonate with audiences.
Indeed, her exquisite voice
warmly radiates the messages
of love, hope, joy, and most
of all, faith on such
favorites as "How Deep Is
The Ocean," "I Won't Last A
Day Without You," "You're
All I Need To Get By," and
"Bridge Over Troubled
Water."
On Inspired: Standards-Good
For the Soul, Mary also
treats listeners to an
intensely spiritual track
called "He Is With You,"
from a Broadway musical
written by family friend
Kathie Lee Gifford, "Under
the Bridge." Another notable
song featured on the CD is
the never-before-recorded
"Try," a beautiful and
hopeful ballad penned by
Dolly Parton as a theme for
the superstar's literacy
program, The Imagination
Library. "It is with great
joy and pride that I play it
over and over now with
Mary's beautiful voice
performing it. I think it's
spectacular," says Parton of
this first recording. "Every
time I hear it I think, 'Did
I write that song? It never
sounded that good when I had
it by myself.' Bravo Mary
and thank you."
Also for the first time,
friend and Emmy
Award-winning actress
Patricia Heaton takes to the
recording studio to perform
the climactic duet, "For
Good," a song from the
Broadway smash "Wicked."
"These first recordings are
so special and fit so well
with our intent to find
songs that reach beyond the
music and lyrics to a deeper
place. All three are songs
that truly lift the spirit
the spirit and inspire us to
dream; to know that we are
loved. We had to include
them," Mary says, adding,
"These ladies were all so
gracious to share their
talents with us."
Mary is a captivating live
performer, singing at the
Kennedy Center in Washington
DC and with symphony
orchestras across the United
States. It was a live
performance aboard the
Presidential yacht "Sequoia"
that led her to Concord
Records. Allen Sviridorff,
who was Rosemary Clooney and
Michael Feinstein's longtime
manager, heard Mary's
poignant performance of "The
Secret of Christmas" that
night and urged her to
record a CD. Of the finished
recording he says,
"Listening to this album
helps you to feel good. It
proclaims hope for the
future, and a belief in all
that surrounds you. It's
good for the soul."
Born and raised in Beaumont,
Texas, Mary began a musical
career at the age of 5, when
she joined the children's
choir at her family's
church. Later at the
University of Mississippi,
she would major in music and
become active in the theater.
When Mary moved to Los
Angeles in 1982 and married
her college sweetheart, Sam
Haskell, she focused her
attentions on a successful
stage and television acting
career. Her love of music
never faded, however. After
the birth of her two
children, she recognized a
void in the children's music
business, and so, with her
partner Michael Reno,
created My Songs, a company
that creates personalized
recordings for kids.
Grateful for a fulfilling
family life and
multi-faceted career, Mary
has made a lasting
commitment to give back to
her community. Whether it's
her work as an elder and
soloist at her church, or
her dedicated involvement
with local charities, such
as the Los Angeles Mission
through the Anne Douglas
Center, the singer gives of
her time and talents
tirelessly. Mary is also
Vice-Chair of the Mary
Kirkpatrick Haskell
Scholarship Foundation, an
organization founded in
honor of her mother-in-law
that helps send
underprivileged Mississippi
children to college.
