Orianthi Panagaris started playing the guitar about age six on an acoustic 6 string given to her by her father. Her father was a musician in Adelaide, Australia, so there were always instruments around along with people who played them. It wasn't long before Orianthi was strumming chords and singing along.
Her father also had an extensive record collection, and Orianthi would sit with her guitar trying to learn songs by listening to Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana and others. Men that are considered true masters of the guitar. While her father was proud of her commitment, and natural talent, he was amused by her choice of music.
'Girls don't really play that kind of music', he would tell her.
About 11 years old, Ori (as she likes to be called), went to a concert by Carlos Santana, and was so stunned by the rhythms and sounds he could get out of his guitar. She begged and begged for an electric guitar. Her father finally gave in and bought her one. She practiced for hours. Ori was not content to be a good guitar player, she wanted to be a great guitar player. She listened to Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Steve Vai and others. Not the music young girls usually listened to. But it was Carlos Santana who truly inspired her. She wanted to play like Carlos Santana.
Girls had never been known to play expertly on guitar. While there have been several good, and well-known, accomplished female guitarists, none that would be considered in the ranks of Clapton or Santana, true masters of the instrument. It was always said about them; "they play pretty good......For a GIRL" . It was that "For A Girl" thing that bothered Ori. She couldn't see why not. When her father's friends would come by, she would tell them she was going to play like Santana, they kindly laughed it off. Girls didn't play like that, they told her. Ori would not be deterred. She was going to master the instrument.
From an interview with Guitar International published July 23rd 2010
Jesse Mazzoccoli: What kind of specific things did you have to endure as a female guitar player at school?
Orianthi: I would line up to do the same auditions
as the guys, so standing in line to get into the school band with guys
was tough. They would say things. One teacher actually said to me, “You
should play the harp because it’s a more feminine instrument.”
The guys use to call me freak all of the time. They’d say, “You
shouldn’t be playing the guitar, you’re a girl.” They’d tell me that I
wasn’t gonna get this audition and that I should just walk away now, and
I got it and that irritated them even more.
Jesse Mazzoccoli: Good.
Orianthi: Yeah, so going to class after I got it
wouldn’t be fun. This was just a thing that happened at most schools,
and it wasn’t fun for me, by any means. I hope that other girls, and
even guys going through that, can get past it. Just do what you love.
Ori started playing in bands around 14 years old. She worked hard, and was beginning to become well known locally , not only as a girl guitar player, but as a talented guitar player.
As a teen-ager in the 80's she was listening to bands like Def Lepard, Whitesnake and Van Halen. It didn't take long until Ori was learning the guitar riffs of the Heavy Metal guitar idols of the decade. Her reputation was growing locally.
When Ori was 18, Carlos Santana came to Adelaide to perform another concert. A local stage hand told Carlos about a local girl who was his biggest fan. He invited Ori in to jam a bit during the soundcheck. Ori so impressed him, he invited her to come back that night, and play in the concert. She even got to play a solo in front of the home town crowd. So Ori not only got to meet her guitar hero, she got to get on stage and play with him. How Cool is That?
Here is a picture from that night. From then on, Orianthi knew what she was going to do. She knew what she wanted to do in her life.
In 2007, Orianthi was invited to play in Eric Clapton's Crossroads festival. This is a clip from that appearance. This clip is becoming an internet sensation. No one expected a to hear a girl play like this. Later that year she released her first recordings, and contributed a song the the Bratz Movie Soundtrack
This is the video for the Song Now Or Never from the Movie "Bratz". Even as a first in many ways for Ori, it looks and sounds great. The video is of poor quality, and I can't seem to find a better copy.
In 2009 she backed up Carrie Underwood at the Grammy Award Show. People were beginning to notice this girl with the amazing guitar style. The girl that didn't play like a girl.
Then Orianthi got her big break. She was handpicked by Michael Jackson to be the guitar player for his "This Is It" tour. Unfortunately the tour was cancelled due to Michael Jackson's untimely death. A movie was released from video shot duringthe practices for this tour. Everybody saw that not only was she pretty, she could play, she could really play. She credits this opportuninty with opening up so much, and was a life-changing experience for her.
She has also signed an endorsement deal with PRS Guitars
She signed with Geffen records Ori was at work on her second CD entitled Believe. A video shoot was scheduled. Here is a video made while filming and rehearsing for this video. Give it a watch
The man in the video is Steve Vai, considered a master of the guitar. He recalls the first time he heard Orianthi play when she was still a teen ager.
Orianthi's CD "Believe" was released in October of 2009. Here is the video for According To You, a song from that CD. Give it a look, it's a bright catchy tune, and of course the guitar playing is phenomenal. The song is beginning to pick up airplay, and will do much to get her known to many more people. Her star is certainly on the rise. We wish Orianthi great success and happiness as her adventures in guitar playing continues
At 24, Orianthi is well on her way to becoming an accomplished star. traveling the world, performing. Her CD is out, and starting to make it's climb up the charts. She actively chats with her 1000's of followers on her MySpace and Twitter pages. She has played with some of the best in the music business, and is respected by them. She can hold her own against any man in the guitar arena. All of this is pretty cool, right?
Well, from now on, whenever someone talks about a female guitar player, they can say "
She plays pretty good",
..........BUT, they can no longer add "For A Girl".
That's why Orianthi is so cool
If there's still any doubt whether Ori plans to take on the "Big Boys" when it comes to her guitar playing, take a look at this video. On December 27th, 2009, Orianthis was asked to play the National Anthem at the Miami Dolphins Football Game.
Her performance here can be compared to Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Slash, and all the other "Big Boy, Guitar Titans"
She does a duet with Steve Vai. This one is a lot of fun. Check it out.
How does life in LA differ from Australia?
I've been living here for about 3 1/2 years and I love it! I have some
awesome friends and I think it's important to surround yourself with
the right people.
You have accomplished more before your 26th birthday than most people accomplish in their lifetime. What's up next for you?
I'm going on tour very soon. It's not completely set but I am very
excited and I will share the news very soon! It's going to be so much
fun.
What would you say is the number one message you deliver to your fans through your music?
Number one message? Empowerment! Believe in yourself, follow your
dreams and never give up! Don't let negativity hold you back and just
got for it. I think my music has positivity through it, you know, the
whole record as a whole is so empowering. That's what I titled it, 'Believe', it's important to believe in yourself.
Now, your hit single, 'According To You', is a bit ruthless-Is it geared toward any guy in particular?
Maybe a couple.
From an interview with Starpulse 2-11-2010
Ori also donated her talents to the remake of We Are The World for Haiti Relief. Join Ori and help out by the links below
Ori has released a new single, here is the video for it. She recently was able to go back to Australia and perform in front of the hometown crowds. This is a big achievement in an artist's career. Things are really looking up for Ori, and we wish her all the best.
Shut Up And Kiss Me
This is too good to miss.
Ori gets some help singing According To You.
I'm beginning to wonder if she's the hardest working girl in show business. Orianthi is proving to be a great example of girl power. She's putting in the work, the hours, the miles.
The hard part about writing Ori's Story is that it's not over, it's actually just beginning. We're looking forward to watching Ori's career grow over the years. We had to add another page to the story,
