she'd always liked classical music and then she married a jazz musician, so that's the kind of music I was into. It was awe-inspiring and inspirational.' 'She had show tunes, she had the soundtrack from West Side Story and South Pacific. I remember Styx had a white piano which rose out of the stage. Someone threw up next to me and people were smoking pot. We had to drive 100 miles to Buffalo, New York. But I was dragged to see Styx when I was 12. 'I was taken to the symphony a lot because my mother loved classical music. When Merchant was a child, her mother listened to music (primarily Petula Clark but also the Beatles, Al Green, Aretha Franklin) and encouraged her children to study music, but would not allow television after Natalie was 12. Her paternal grandfather, who played the accordion, mandolin and guitar, immigrated to the United States from Sicily his surname was 'Mercante' before it was anglicized. Natalie Merchant was born October 26, 1963, in Jamestown, New York, the third of four children of Anthony and Anne Merchant.

She has since released nine studio albums as a solo artist. She remained with the group for their first seven albums and left it to begin her solo career in 1993. She joined the band 10,000 Maniacs in 1981 and was lead vocalist and primary lyricist for the group. Natalie Anne Merchant (born October 26, 1963) is an American alternative rock singer-songwriter.

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