Born in the Netherlands, partially raised in Germany by a mother who is a songwriter and piano teacher and a father who is an opera singer, music was a naturally given gift, genetically passed on, a way to communicate your mood and your feelings.
Then in 1995, after years of demos and small local performances, she received an universal offer from a label in the US with her debut single This Is Your Night.
I was very excited but also very shocked as I did not expect anything with a simple dance tune such as This Is Your Night. It was one of the many demos that I had cut over the years.
she says.
Of course I took the deal not knowing a darn thing about this industry
she laughs
Like many artists, I had to learn the hard way what my rights and my duties were and that was quite an experience.
she says. She realized early on, that she had to compromise in order to get to where she wanted to be- but to not completely lose herself, she always tried to give her songs that special unconventional touch.
That way, she amassed an impassioned army of fans with 4 full length albums, with songs which are smarter, bolder, and more infectious than your average, paint-by-numbers pop tunes.
Amber’s bright future has been buoyed by a history that saw her rise above the crowded and competitive ranks of clubland divas. She has racked up an impressive seven consecutive No. 1 dance singles and an additional 6 Top 10 dance hits.
Many of them made it into the official Top 40 Billboard Charts.
Her songs received many awards, have been featured on countless compilations, been licensed by motion pictures and TV series and been covered by an array of artists — she co-penned one track called Bless You Child for Bette Midler’s album release in 2000 and most notably Cher, whose rendition of Love One Anotherearned Amber a Grammy nomination in 2004 as a writer.
Perhaps most exciting is the fact that Amber is a woman in charge of her own destiny. As an independent artist running her own show since herself requested and granted release from Tommy Boy in 2003/2004, she is forging forward with more verve and energy than she ever has in the past with her own label JMCA Enterprises.
I saw an industry in change and a lot of confusion. I saw an industry that was trying to push their conservative ways on the fans and artists while that battle was already lost. I saw an industry that was totally oblivious toward the needs of creative artists. For me that was the perfect timing to get out of the conventional contract that was still hanging over my head and come up with unconventional ways and most important to come out with a different kind of album.
With the birth of her first self released album My Kind Of World (2004), Amber took her greatest risk to date by shining a light on the deepest — and sometimes the darkest — parts of her heart and soul. The result was a collection of literate, often brutally honest songs that revealed Amber’s renegade soul.
This was a reflection of my world at that time and the different emotions that could not be described or captured with only one genre or sound. All of the styles that have influenced me throughout my life flowed into each other and created a new sound that I was able to really call my own! Until this day, I am extremely proud of that album.
In the summer of 2004, Amber performed with the international recording artist Zelma Davis at a Gay Pride in Milwaukee, WI.
Both artists happen to share their love for Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand as one of their biggest inspirations and Amber proposed to cover the 1979 hit No More Tears (Enough is Enough).
You know what they say: Sisters are doing it for themselves….
Amber states that she loves a great challenge and believes not in resting on past laurels but giving each musical chapter 150%.
Once I lose that ambition, it is time for me to retire
I am in a happy place now and there is nothing like owning your own music and masters and running your own show and destiny. No longer do I have to live in anyone else’s world or dance to someone else’s beat
she says.
Let’s be honest…as if she ever really did….