What sets Renee apart from the rest

MANILA, Philippines - She has a superfluous, melodic voice. The minute you hear the strains of her jazz anthems or pop tunes, you couldn’t help but be enthralled. At 24, American singer Renee Olstead has undoubtedly captured the world with her amazing vocal pipes.

Born in Kingwood, Texas, Renee is of Norwegian descent. Her parents are Christopher Eric Olstead and Rebecca Lynn Jeffries. Before she became a singer, Renee was into acting in film, TV and theater.  As early as 1995, when she was only six, she started appearing on TV — mini-series and made-for-TV movies.

She won awards in the sitcom Still Standing, which ran from 2002 to 2006. She also currently appears in the family series The Secret Life of the American Teenager, which debuted in 2011. In film, she had a brief role in the 2004 release, 13 Going on 30, starring Jennifer Garner. She was also seen in other films like End of Days, Space Cowboys and The Insider.

Also in 2004, Renee decided to go serious into music. Although she can definitely carry a tune even when she was still a kid, she began to seriously explore the recording scene.

She sounds like Billie Holiday, Amy Winehouse and even Adele, but her singing style was heavily influenced by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn, whom she admired when she was still in her teens.

Renee released a self-titled album of jazz tunes and pop standards, which elicited raves and was well-received in the international scene. That record was a brainchild of noted songwriter and record producer David Foster, who helped Renee establish her recording roots (along with the likes of Celine Dion, Madonna, Rod Stewart, Josh Groban, Michael Bublé, the late Whitney Houston and even our very own Charice). Renee was later seen performing with Foster in The Oprah Winfrey Show.

The song Summertime, from the said album, was nominated for a Grammy, while the romantic ballad, A Love That Will Last, was featured in the soundtrack of Princess Diaries 2: The Royal Engagement (starring Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews).

“I encouraged all of you to seek out teachers and mentors that challenge you to think and guide you to find your own voice,” said Renee, who is a self-confessed vegetarian. “Growing up in the entertainment industry, I’ve had a lot of people tell me I’m not good enough. I just always love to perform and I was lucky enough to be in front of the right people at the right time.”

Renee later shared the limelight with trumpeter Chris Botti in the latter’s album, To Love Again: The Duets. The two artists performed in Manila last year. On Aug. 30, Renee will delight Manila music lovers in her first major solo concert, A Love That Will Last, at the Fairmont Hotel Makati Ballroom.

The dinner-concert will have local female trio Baihana (Krina Cayabyab, Mel Torre and Anna Achacoso) as special guest. The show is presented by High Definition Radio, Inc., the company behind Radio High 105.9 FM.

Renee will render songs that she recorded in her five studio albums like Hit the Road Jack, Hold Me Now, Taking a Chance on Love, Summertime, A Love That Will Last, Breaking Up is Hard To Do, Someone To Watch Over Me, Sunday Kind of Love, What a Diff’rence a Day Makes, Midnight at the Oasis, Sentimental Journey, When I Fall in Love, What a Wonderful World, Skylark and She’s Got Your Name (which she wrote with record producer-musician Tommy King).