User:Rome Sinclair/Canada's Original Diva

Adopted shortly after birth, Liberty was raised by a British Family in the rural city of Peterborough, ON. Growing up there filled with a great family life; brothers, sisters and lots of relatives. Her family will tell you how at the age of three, she walked around the corner with a large floppy hat and high heels, with a portable record player in hand to her friend Merry Watson’s house to sing. There she held rehearsals to the songs by the Supremes! Often hitting Merry on the back and head for singing the wrong note. Liberty knew what she wanted…to sing.

Although the family unit was there, Liberty was faced with dealing with racism at an early age in school. Taunted by kids all though public school, harassed by one certain boy, rocks thrown at her, chasings, and even teachers treated her differently. Liberty found solace in the basement of her parent’s house with a piano and hundreds of old jazz and classical records from her father’s collection.

At 9 years old, young Liberty sang and played her heart out by ear, eventually inviting one friend over which lead to mini-concerts of her original music. She would charge small change, chocolate bars and homework answers as an admission fee. Liberty had found her niche! This continued into high school. With only a couple of friends who happened to be the other outcasts, Liberty survived each day. Often times Liberty would address such issues with either parents but she was told it would blow over go away. It never did until Initiation Day! All new students were required to perform an act, and Liberty sang and was held over for 3 lunches. Although high school presented new problems in terms of more racism. Liberty joined the music classes, learned how to play 7 different instruments and joined drama and track-and-field.

Even though she was an amazing singer and performer, she was never picked for the front line in the school plays. Liberty was the COSSA and OFSA champion for track-and- field but was not told of the finals which was at another school because the school didn’t want her to represent  them. Frustrated Liberty sunk deeper in to her music!

Enough was enough when one boy at school stated waiting outside for her at every period. Barging into the school board meeting and threaten to take the school to court, the harassment stopped but just before arriving home someone just happened to mention to Liberty that the reason no one liked her was because she was adopted and black.

After confronting her parents, she found out the truth and she packed her bag and left for Toronto the same day. She was 13 years old. Arriving at their sister’s house and taking a swim, Liberty sang away the pain only to be over heard by a man named Norman who immediately heard promise and Liberty was at an audition two hours later. It was her first real show and 12 hours later, Liberty was opening up for Bob Marley at Madison Square Gardens.

From the basement mini-concerts as a young girl to opening up for Bob Marley at the Madison Square Garden, Liberty Silver has been singing around the world and touching lives by her musical stanza…. Liberty has opened for:

•	U.S. President Barack Obama •	Bob Marley •	B.B. King •	Sheryl Lynn •	Maya Angelou •	Desmond Tutu •	Celine Dion •	The Temptations •	Harry Belafonte •	Don Rickles •	Joan Rivers •	Natalie Cole •	Jeffery Osborne •	J.T. Taylor •	Gladys Knight •	Cameo •	SOS Band •	Oscar Peterson •	Mikhail Gorbachev

The Canadian-born diva has been performing all across Canada and the world, her archives include:

•	Antigua Jazz Festival •	Ottawa Jazz •	Jamaican Air Canada Jazz Festival •	Demurer International Jazz Festival •	Beaches International Jazz •	Guyana U.S. Embassy- Habitat for Humanity •	New York- Unveiling of Statue of Liberty •	Barbados Jazz Festival •	Greece- Technopolis •	Trinidad Carnival 96 •	Mobile Alabama New Years Jam 2007 •	Trustee for the Starlight Foundation, etc.

Collaborated with many musical artists throughout Canada for a humanitarian track called “Tears are not Enough”…She has sold millions of records/cds throughout the world, with all types of music from R &B, jazz, multi-platinum dance tracks, reggae, pop, country music, and gospel. Her voice can expand 6-1/2 octaves. She won her 7 consecutive weeks on Star Search and in the mid-1980's she took the Canadian music scene by storm when she received 3 coveted Juno Awards for best R & B Single and Best Reggae/Calypso Recording. That same year she was nominated for Most Promising Female Vocalist and collaborated on a Jazz Album nominated for a Juno Award, making history as the only multiple Juno Award Winner and Nominee besides Bryan Adams. Liberty also co-hosted the World Basketball Championship ceremony with TV Star Allan Thicke, hosted her own TV series “Centre Stage Chronicles”, and co-wrote and performed the official Olympic theme for the 1996 Atlanta, Georgia, and 2004 Athens, Greece Olympic games.

Accolades/credits include: 5 Black Music Awards, 3 Rock Express Awards, the Shuremic Award for Vocals, the Bob Marley Memorial Award, the Chin International Songwriting Award (where Liberty performed songs in Italian), The Michigan State Music Competition, 3 Genie Nominations for Acting, Jazz Reports, Top Female Jazz Singer Award, and most recently received The 2005 African Achievement Award for Arts and Entertainment. She was nominated for the Best Female Vocal and Original Composition Award at the Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards, honouring George Benson.