Ingrid Michaelson is not gay, but she will defend any one of her brothers and sisters if an ignorant comment or suggestion is made. Case in point: one of Ingrid's fans used the word "gay" to describe her single "Everybody" immediately prompting her to issue a response to deflect the incident. Ingrid - This is why we love you. Well, one of the reasons!
Michaelson was born on December 8, 1979 in New York to very artistic parents (her father was a composer and her mother was a sculptor). It's no wonder she would eventually gravitate toward music at the early age of four and then work with a vocal coach throughout high school. She opened for fellow musician Jason Mraz on his 2008 European tour. Now, in 2010, music prodigy is on the road doing her own "thing" and will be performing at Lilith Fair 2010. Not lost on the singer/songwriter is her tenacity and gratitude for life, her close musician-friend Sara Bareilles and, well, Snickers bars.
SheWired: Where were you when you received the invitation to join Lilith Fair?
I don't remember! Does that make me a bad person? I was, and am still, excited to be a part of something so great though!
Ingrid Michaelson: Do you have a favorite Sarah McLachlan song?
I used to listen to Sarah ALL OF THE TIME. I loved so many of her songs, but if I had to pick one it would be "Possession."
Are you close with any other Lilith artists scheduled to go out on tour this summer?
My friend Sara [Bareilles] is playing. We actually co-wrote a song together called "Winter Song" and I love it and I love her.
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Are there five items you can't leave home without when you go out on the road?
My Blackberry, my iPod, sneakers with insoles (because my feet always hurt), hand sanitizer and my laptop.
Do you prefer being up-close and personal with your fans or performing in a larger setting and why?
I prefer a more personal feel but I think you can achieve that feeling even in a large venue. I love playing off of an audience. They are the ones who change the show every night.
What are two of your favorite guilty pleasures?
Snickers bars and French fries.
Your music has been featured on the hit television show Grey's Anatomy. How did that collaboration develop? Are you a fan of the show?
My music was found on MySpace by a licensing company who then licensed my music to Grey's Anatomy. They also licensed my music to other shows, commercials and movie music supervisors. I got hooked on that show soon after my songs were used.
You took a little bit of heat for your response on Twitter to a reviewer using the word "gay" to describe your single, "Everybody." First of all, thank you for doing that and standing up for the LGBTQ community. Secondly, why was it so important to you to stand up to that kind of comment?
I know that most people use the word "gay" to mean "bad" without realizing how offensive it can be. I am not gay but I am very sensitive to this issue. I just think that people should be more aware of the meaning of what they say versus what they are actually trying to say. He could have said "baaaaaaad" instead of "gaaaaaaaay". I don't mind if someone doesn't like my music, but I mind if someone spews ignorant comments.
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