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Be sure to catch Orianthi performing on Stand Up To Cancer airing live tonight, September 10th, at 8PM EST on CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, and HBO!

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Vote For Orianthi For The 2010 Kids Choice Awards!

Hey Orianthi fans! Vote for Orianthi for the 2010 Kids Choice Awards as the winner for Fresh Aussie Muso!! Click HERE to vote on the Nickelodeon website.

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Vote For Orianthi For The 2010 Kids Choice Awards!

Hey Orianthi fans! Vote for Orianthi for the 2010 Kids Choice Awards as the winner for Fresh Aussie Muso!! Click HERE to vote on the Nickelodeon website.

Orianthi plays through the pain

The woman with the electric guitar has played this song before. It's a Michael Jackson ballad, and the young guitarist is named Orianthi, who leans back now to unfurl a solo of smoldering melody before stepping up to the microphone to sing some torrid lyrics: "Love is a feeling / give it when I want it / 'cause I'm on fire / quench my desire. . . ."

Orianthi's eyes are closed beneath her blond bangs as she wails "Give In to Me" in a North Hollywood rehearsal studio, her four-piece rock band swaying behind her. The 1991 song (co-authored by Bill Bottrell) appeared on Jackson's 1991 album "Dangerous" and was one of at least 20 that the guitarist spent two months rehearsing with Jackson as a member of his band for a series of planned "This Is It" concerts in London.

She had been drafted to re-create signature guitar parts originated by the likes of Slash and Eddie Van Halen, to stand beside Jackson onstage at the O2 Arena and deliver real playing ability through 50 sold-out nights. Then, on June 25, just weeks before opening night, Jackson was dead of heart failure.

Soon, footage of the striking 24-year-old guitarist and Jackson dramatically playing off each other in a windblown rehearsal at Staples Center was seen across the hungry media-sphere.

"It was a huge shock for all of us. Our hearts just sank," Orianthi said of getting the news at Staples, where the band already had gathered for another full day of rehearsals. "It felt like he hadn't actually gone. It was too much of a shock. He was with us the night before and he seemed so full of energy."

The guitarist (full name: Orianthi Panagaris) expected to be well into the "This Is It" concerts by now, while preparing to release her debut solo album, "Believe," which hit retailers this week.

She began writing and recording the album for Geffen Records after arriving in Los Angeles from Adelaide, Australia, three years ago. Its release was supposed to happen during a break in the O2 schedule, but now coincides with the theatrical opening of the posthumous “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” documentary, drawn from 120 hours of rehearsal footage.

"He was a big kid who wanted to have fun, but he was so serious about his music," Orianthi said. "He was a perfectionist and wanted to make sure it came across really well for his fans. He wanted to put on the ultimate show for them."

She auditioned for Jackson in late April on a Burbank soundstage. "I was so nervous and he was staring right at me," she said, still excited by the memory. "Afterwards, he was really happy and he grabbed my arm. We started walking up and down the stage area, and he asked me if I could play the solo while walking with a real fast pace with him."

Orianthi got the job -- as guitarist and sometime vocalist -- and joined a band of veteran R&B and pop players, picking up funky instrumental bits she hadn't known before. Jackson and director Kenny Ortega also had her stretch beyond the recorded songs, she says.

"They actually wanted me to add my own flavor to it," Orianthi said. "So I added some extra stuff . . . I use my tremolo bar a lot, so I incorporated that. It's hard to solo when you're walking around, especially when you're in Michael Jackson's presence. There are easier things in life to do."

Some of what she brought to the mix also can be heard on "Believe," an album of bright pop tunes with flashes of virtuoso rock guitar. It opens with the tough commercial pop of "According to You," the album's first single and a song of youthful self-worth brought to her by producer Howard Benson.

She wrote or co-wrote most of the tracks, mingling fiery riffs with breathless pop hooks to land somewhere near Avril Lavigne and Paramore (minus any shades of punk).

"I aim to inspire a bunch of female guitar players, to get out there and take it seriously and never give up," Orianthi said. "I've seen some female players, and they get up there and play an A chord and leave . . . and it's not a good representation. You can take it seriously and love it as much as a guy loves it, not just to get up there and pose."

Growing up in South Australia, she first picked up her father's acoustic guitar when she was 6. She studied classical guitar initially, then became obsessed with the electric at 11 after seeing Carlos Santana perform, and memorized as many of his solos as she could from VHS tapes. Her first professional gig came when she was a 15-year-old rock prodigy, playing to a backing tape as the opening act for guitarist Steve Vai.

In 2003, Santana brought her onstage for 40 minutes in front of her hometown crowd. Both veteran guitarists have remained supporters, and the new album includes the instrumental "Highly Strung," as Orianthi trades riffs and leads with Vai in a quick, archetypal duel to satisfy the most obsessive guitar-head.

In recent years, she's jammed with Prince at his house and soloed on "Last Name" with Carrie Underwood on the Grammy Awards in February, when Orianthi was first spotted by Jackson's team. She was found through her MySpace page.

The final song recorded for "Believe" was a last-minute addition, inspired by the deaths of Jackson and her friend and collaborator, drummer Dianne Grainger, 24. On "God Only Knows," she sings over layers of guitar: "I can't seem to find my way out of this low / It just don't seem right / didn't have a chance to say goodbye."

"My outlook on life is to keep looking up," Orianthi said. "If you're looking down, you don't see the light. For me, it's all about embracing that and thinking positively."

Source: LA Times

Michael Jackson Guitarist Orianthi 'Humbled' to Rehearse with King of Pop

You'd think that a musician on a satellite tour to promote her new album would gush about the new tracks and tell people how much they'll love the record.

But that wasn't the case for 24-year-old Australian guitarist Orianthi. Instead, she took the opportunity to rave about working alongside Michael Jackson for the concerts that never were.

Orianthi appeared on FOX 2 News Live at 11 on Oct. 27, one day before the Jackson documentary This is It opens nationwide.

Jackson discovered Orianthi, who is named for her Greek grandmother, after watching a YouTube clip of her performance with Carrie Underwood during the 2009 Grammy Awards. Her new album, Believe, is on store shelves now.



Source: FoxCharlotte.com

Orianthi's new album now available!

The new album"Believe" by Orianthi is now available!



Or get it at iTunes!




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Be sure to tune in to ABC tomorrow to see Orianthi perform ACCORDING TO YOU on GOOD MORNING AMERICA! 7:30AM EST.

Guitarist Orianthi Panagaris gets screen time in ‘This is It’

Girl-power guitar goddess Orianthi Panagaris has a lot in common with Michael Jackson.

Yes, that seems odd - Orianthi is a 24-year-old, Aussie cutie whose career is just taking off; Michael was known around the world as the King of Pop - but it’s true.

Like Michael, Orianthi was a child prodigy. As a teenager, she was trading licks with guitar heavies Carlos Santana and Steve Vai.

And, like Michael, this young lady is not afraid to blend hard rock and pure pop in perfect “Beat It” style: Orianthi’s debut, “Believe,” which arrives in stores Tuesday, mixes guitar shredding with radio-ready hooks.

Maybe that is why MJ personally chose Orianthi to play lead guitar in his band for his planned “This Is It” comeback shows.

“I don’t know exactly why he picked me, but he watched my YouTube videos and loved them,” Orianthi said from her adopted hometown of Los Angeles. “He had his choice of guitar players, but I came in and played the ‘Beat It’ solo for him. Afterward he was so happy he got up and grabbed my arm and started walking up and down the stage area with me. He said, ‘Can you play once for me?’ ”

So Orianthi ripped out Eddie Van Halen’s wicked whammy and finger-tapping solo again. Jackson was just as impressed on the second take.

“He hired me that night,” Orianthi said. “I wish he was still around. He made me believe in myself more, and I learned so much. Going into it, I thought it would be all about playing guitar solos. But the majority of it was playing chords and funky rhythms.”

Already a virtuoso, she was challenged in new ways by Jackson and his band. But it was the connections she made - with Michael, his musicians and his admirers - that made the experience so worthwhile.

“His fans have been wonderful to me, just amazing,” she gushed.

To pay back Michael and his millions of mourners, Orianthi added a last-minute song to “Believe” called “God Only Knows,” a hopeful tune intended as catharsis after the shock of the icon’s death.

But Jackson wasn’t the first star the young six-string whiz impressed. There were the aforementioned Australian gigs with Santana and Vai (who does a duet with Orianthi on “Believe”). But it was her solo backing Carrie Underwood at the 2009 Grammy Awards that had people asking “Who was that girl?” the next day.

Virtually unknown before the Underwood gig, Orianthi’s flame-throwing, face-melting guitar work on “Last Name” sent YouTube into a tizzy. Hey, even MJ streamed the clip.

“I don’t consider these opportunities steppingstones, I consider them honors,” Orianthi said of the growing list of A-listers she’s rocked. “I’m a big fan of country music, so it was an honor to have Carrie ask me to play with her band. Carlos Santana is the reason I picked up the electric guitar, so getting to play with him was amazing. And Steve Vai was my first ever (opening slot). I’ve always been a huge fan of his and can now actually call him a friend after writing a song with him for my debut record.”

As big as the Grammy moment was for Orianthi, she’s about to top it. Next week “This Is It” - the Jackson documentary filmed at the rehearsals for his London shows - opens. Orianthi hasn’t seen the movie, but has heard she gets a lot of screen time. And no doubt filmgoers will exit once again asking “Who was that girl?”

“It’s going to be very hard to sit through and watch,” Orianthi said. “It was an incredible time in my life, and I’m just so grateful Michael chose me to be part of all of it.

Source: The Boston Herald

Jackson guitarist Orianthi taking spotlight

Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- She looks like Rock 'n' Roll Barbie -- cascading blonde locks, cute little upturned nose, a cherry red electric guitar she calls "Pepper." Then she rips into the solo from "Beat It."

All images of a plastic doll shatter into a million ear-splitting decibels. As tiny fingers tipped in blue nail polish attack the frets in a blur, you understand why Michael Jackson cast 24-year-old Orianthi as the guitarist on his "This is It" tour. The girl shreds.

"Getting to come in and audition for him, I'd never been that nervous in my life!" she recalls in an Aussie accent. "Going in and playing the 'Beat It' solo for him -- and he was just sitting on the couch staring at me -- it was very intense, and I was just praying to God I got it right."

Her debut album, "Believe," hits shelves Tuesday -- the day before the Jackson documentary, "This is It," arrives in theaters. The film chronicles the last few weeks of their rehearsals before Jackson's death on June 25.

"I really want to see it," she says. "It's going to be hard for all of us. He was our leader. It was so devastating."

One of the haunting early clips from the movie shows Jackson strutting over to Ori as she plays -- her long hair blowing in slow-mo while he dances ethereally beside her. But this wasn't the first time she'd taken the stage with a high-profile singer. In February, she had audiences asking, "Who's that guitarist?" when she accompanied Carrie Underwood at the 51st annual Grammy Awards.

"It was pretty insane to play the Grammy Awards, and looking out in the audience and seeing rock royalty -- Bono and Paul McCartney. It was crazy," she remembers.

Orianthi Panagaris first picked up an acoustic guitar as a six-year-old in Adelaide, on the southern tip of Australia. "My grandmother is Orianthi. She's from this small island in Greece. I'm half Greek, half Australian," she says.

Ori switched to the electric guitar when she was 11, after seeing Carlos Santana headline a concert in her hometown.

"I begged my dad to get me a secondhand electric guitar so I could be like Carlos," she says. To this day, one of her favorite instruments is a Paul Reed Smith Custom 24. Not coincidentally, Santana's guitar of choice is Paul Reed Smith.

When she was 18, she joined him on stage in Adelaide for part of a set, even trading licks with him in a duet. Since then, other legendary musicians have come calling. "I got to jam with Prince, which is amazing. Getting to write a song with Steve Vai -- he was my first support," she says.

Orianthi's debut album is a cross between sassy Avril Lavigne-esque pop numbers and more anthemic rock tracks in the vein of Paramore or Evanescence. On disc, it might be easy to lump her into the same category as other young singers. But live, you're reminded that Ori herself is playing lead guitar, and that the searing guitar riffs aren't courtesy of an anonymous studio musician who's been hired for his or her chops. She also wrote or co-wrote nine of the album's 11 tracks.

"I've been overseeing, writing my record and recording for two and a half years, and I'm [very] proud of it," she says. "I just hope kids can come to our show and just be inspired to get home and pick up their guitars -- or ask their parents to buy it for Christmas. You know, drive their parents batty, and crank it up and rock out."

And with that, she excuses herself to tune her guitar for rehearsal.

Source: CNN.com