Just Who is Biz Oliver?

There are so many things that this musical mother of two teenagers would like to do.

” When I retire, I would like to paint, renovate my house, sew and cook. Meantime, I run like the devil, booking all my gigs, with a little help from my number one fan and manager.”

Biz Oliver, a singer who does a more than fitting tribute to Janis Joplin and Aretha Franklin – gets help from her brother Andrew from Spark SMP Inc.

” Between car pools and vet appointments ( we have a dog, two cats, 2 turtles, and a cockatiel) I perform any chance I can get!” Says Biz from her home in Montreal.

These chances translate into at least 200 gigs a year at the present. It may seem like a lot yet Biz is a seasoned performer. She has been performing since her early twenties in various cover bands. Off The Record, Jimminy Crickets, Rock Steady and Slowhand to name some.

Oliver also plays in her own band; Biz Oliver and The Lost Boys.

Explains Biz.

“My career has taken off since the release of my original single, You Always Love Me Like I Used To Be (2000) and my full length cd of originals called Soul Secrets in 2005. I have also played a lot of solo piano gigs, mainly so I could keep working throughout the year.”

Upstairs, Cafe Boomers, and other places in the West Island are some of the places as well as Smoke Meat Pete. A place where Biz is the only female solo blues piano player and singer on the regular roster for over seven years.

“I have been singing Janis and Aretha for a long time. It only made sense to do a tribute show because I am told that I look like Janis. I can do her justice because of my ability to sing soulfully in a rhythm and blues context.”

People like the fact that Biz makes the show her own. She plays keyboards yet maintains the passion and intensity of the legendary female singer referred to endearingly as Pearl.

You can check out Biz Oliver and The Kozmic Gold Boogie Band at Calistoga Grill on Saturday, September 22nd at 10:45 (reserving a ticket highly recommended)