Michele D'Amour and the Love Dealers

Biography

Michele D'Amour is a storyteller and award-winning songwriter who penned her first song at the age of six and became a published poet in her early twenties. Her lyrics treat difficult topics with a sense of soulful whimsy and wry humor. Michele sang in her church choir, wrote songs, and sang lead for some local bands before honing her craft at several of the jams in the Seattle area. Upon the advice of friends, she formed Michele D'Amour and the Love Dealers in 2011.

"That girl really has some pipes!" - A fan
"I would drive across the country to hear Michele sing." - Another fan

Patrick McDanel, also from Seattle, has been with the band since its inception. He plays bass and sings backing vocals. McDanel started on piano at five; then played trombone professionally for several years until needing to stop due to an injury. Patrick is a veteran of the national music scene, having played with notable bands and acts as either a regular player or fill-in. One of his favorite career moments was playing at the Apollo Theater in the 1990s.

"Is that bass made of butter?" - a fan

Andrew Seliber (drums) has been playing for about twenty-five years, starting in a high-school garage band before sit-ins during a bartending job in a Pioneer Square jazz club pulled him deep into jazz, soul, funk, and R&B. He’s played with Lonnie Williams’ band, the Hula Bees, and the Groovetramps, along with various sideman gigs. A working live-sound engineer, he brings that same attentive ear to the kit, aiming for the “right” notes and treating every song like a conversation with the band and the crowd.

Steve Gorringe has been playing and studying the guitar for over fifty years, studying with notable Jazz greats Bob Rice, Milo Peterson and Don Mock. He holds two degrees in music from Western Washington University where he studied classical guitar and choral conducting. Mr. Gorringe has been directing local high school music programs for the past twenty eight years; his ensembles have consistently won top honors at numerous competitions. He has performed throughout the Northwest, California, New York, New Orleans and Europe.

Noel Barnes first hit the Seattle music scene with the Highline Community College Jazz Ensemble. A saxophonist who also doubles on flute and clarinet, he studied with Sue Orfield and went on to work with local jazz greats like Jay Thomas, Floyd Standifer, Eric Verlinde, and Brian Nova. He has performed with R&B and rock groups including CityKnightz, Chain Reaction, Show Nuff Funk, and the late Deems Tsutakawa. Before music became his full-time path, Noel was a standout football player at WSU and with the semipro Pierce County Bengals, earning induction into the Pacific Northwest Minor League Football Hall of Fame in 2013.

Merlyn Ahern is a music educator and professional musician. She brings more than 25 years of piano accompanying and performance experience to the band. Merlyn specializes in piano, organ, harpsichord, and vocals. She has performed throughout the United States as well as abroad, including playing in an ensemble throughout Europe. Merlyn has performed every genre of music from rock-n-roll and folk music to classical.