Natalie Anne Merchant (born October 26, 1963 in Jamestown, New York, USA) is a professional musician. She joined the rock band 10,000 Maniacs in 1981 and began her solo career in 1993. The family surname of Merchant is of Sicilian origin and was originally
Mercanto. She is married and has a daughter.
Merchant was the lead singer of the band 10,000 Maniacs, joining in its infancy in 1981. She left the band in 1993 to pursue a successful solo career. Her debut solo album Tigerlily (1995) had three Top 40 singles in the U.S.: "Carnival", "Jealousy", and "Wonder". In 1997, she first performed "Planctus", a song for voice and piano written for her by Philip Glass. In 1998, Merchant released Ophelia, supported by co-headlining the concert tour Lilith Fair. The following year she released Live in Concert. Read more about ...
