Amelia Presley

Amelia Anne Presley (born October 19, 1989) is a Finnish-American Americana music singer-songwriter. Her single, Harm Nobody Else, was featured on American Songwriter Magazine, Medium, The Country Note and others. She is also known as a member of the Americana/Texas-Country duo, Highway Sisters.

Amelia Presley
Presley filming music video for “Harm Nobody Else” (2020)
Background information
Born (1989-10-19) October 19, 1989
Mobile, Alabama; ethnicity: Irish, Finnish, West Asian
GenresCountry, blues, Americana, Texas Country, Red Dirt
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, actress, machinery technician
InstrumentsVocals, guitar
Years active2011–present
LabelsWhiskeyDidIt Records, Smith Music Group
Associated actsKK Bodiford, Ronnie McDowell, Amber Hayes, Logan Brill, Highway Sisters, Cory Morrow, Craig Campbell, Gyth Rigdon, Andrew Sevener, Allie Colleen Brooks, Justin Biltonen, Stoney Larue, Bri Bagwell, Asher Cataldo, Abe Partridge, The Lawless
Websitewww.ameliapresleymusic.com

Presley released her debut ten-song album entitled No Pony Ride in 2013 while she was enlisted in the United States Coast Guard, and multiple singles after.

Early life

Presley, the great niece of US Navy sailor, Sam Davis Presley and cousin of Elvis Presley, was born October 19, 1989 in Mobile, Alabama and raised in the small community of Franklin Creek, Mississippi. Presley's paternal great grandmother came to the area from Michigan with her mother, Hilma, and father, Antti Kanakala (changed to Andrew Thompson), along with other Finnish immigrant families in the 1900s. Amelia Presley celebrates her Finnish heritage with the community via a yearly “Silver Tea” held around Christmas time at the Finnish Lutheran Church in Kreole, MS.[1] In 2010, Presley enlisted in the United States Coast Guard where she became a machinery technician. While enlisted, she recorded and released her first album, No Pony Ride, after selling a horse and horse trailer to afford the studio fees. She was discharged from active duty service in 2015. She then worked as a farm hand in Mobile, Alabama and a machinist in Pascagoula, Mississippi before touring full-time.[2]

In later years, it would be revealed that Presley endured 13 years of abuse starting from the age of three at the hands of her adoptive mother.[3][4][5]

Military Service

Music career
With a bluesy and soulful sound armed with extraordinarily detailed lyrics sharpened for accuracy, make no mistake this is the sound of a phoenix rising, breaking its chains and shedding its shackles along the way.

— American Songwriter author Ken Churilla, 2020[6]

Amelia Presley is not your average country music singer. Raised on rough Mississippi dirt, Presley has built herself an empire with her own two hands using grit and determination to achieve her dream of becoming a professional singer. 

— Country Evolution author Jamie Tjornehoj, 2020[7]

Born in Alabama and raised in Mississippi, Presley’s southern roots can be heard in her emotion-filled vocals that range from raspy to sweet. She’s grit and grace — a fierce storyteller draped in turquoise, armed with a six-string and her own authentic truth. — Loveland Reporter-Herald author Kalene McCort, 2020[8]

In 2011, Presley recorded and released "Silver Tongue".[9] In 2012, Presley recorded an acoustic EP entitled, "Backwoods Love Story" but decided to record the album again with a full band. The EP was never officially released as "Backwoods Love Story", however, the tracks were released individually.[10]

In 2013, Presley recorded and released an album entitled No Pony Ride.[11]

In 2015, Presley toured with Ronnie McDowell, Logan Brill, Amber Hayes, Farewell Angelina and Megan Moreaux. The tour spanned from Nashville to Arkansas, Oklahoma and Georgia and ended at the Historic Collins Theater for a sold-out show in Paragould, Arkansas.[12]

In early 2016, Presley released a single entitled "Hard Headed Mama".

In 2017, along with KK Bodiford, Presley formed the Texas-Country duo, Highway Sisters.[13]

In 2017, Presley became a member of Americana Music Association and Country Music Association.

In 2017, Presley sang at the Grand Ole Opry.

In 2018, Presley was featured on American Idol.[14]

In 2019–2020, Presley became an advocate against child abuse by telling her own story of abuse that she endured for 13 years starting at age three, and by releasing her single “Harm Nobody Else”.[3][4][5]

Personal life

In 2016, Presley married her fiancé Austin Evans. Soon after, they released that they were expecting a baby girl. Presley continued to perform and played 15 shows while pregnant ranging from Chicago, Illinois to Nashville, Tennessee.[15] Presley gave birth to a baby girl in July 2016.

Presley also has a son who was born in 2008.

Discography
  • Silver Tongue (single) (2011)[16]
  • No Pony Ride (album) (2013)
  • Hard Headed Mama (single) (2016)
  • Get Lucky (single) (2016)
  • Smoke and Mirrors (Highway Sisters EP) (2018)
  • Live At The Rodeo Opry In Oklahoma City (Highway Sisters Live EP) (2019)
  • Empty Case (Single) (2020)
  • Harm Nobody Else (Single) (2020)

Tours
Headlining
Co-headlining
Opening

References
  1. "First Finns came in 1899 - Finnish Lutheran Church of Kreole dates back to 1907 (Sampling History)". gulflive. July 15, 2012.
  2. "Amelia Presley: Biography". ameliapresleymusic.com. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  3. "Amelia Presley Digs Deep To Confront Her Abusive, Adoptive Mother On "Harm Nobody Else"". July 29, 2020.
  4. Block, Donna (July 22, 2020). "Amelia Presley's Upcoming Single "Harm Nobody Else" is Her Own Story of Survival". Medium.
  5. "Amelia Presley: Song of Hope From a Survivor Sheds Inspiration and Light on the Dark Face of Abuse". July 14, 2020.
  6. Ken Churilla (July 29, 2020). "Amelia Presley Digs Deep To Confront Her Abusive, Adoptive Mother On "Harm Nobody Else"". American Songwriter. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  7. Jamie Tjornehoj (August 3, 2020). "Shaping Society with her Soulful Voice, this is Amelia Presley". Country Evolution. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  8. Kalene McCort (August 13, 2020). "Outlaw country powerhouse Amelia Presley performing in Loveland Friday". Loveland Reporter-Herald. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  9. "♫ Silver Tongue(Acoustic Version) - Amelia Presley. Listen @cdbaby". Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  10. "Amelia Presley Bio". CMT.
  11. "No Pony Ride by Amelia Presley". 16 March 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  12. "An Evening with Ronnie". 1049FM.
  13. "Highway Sisters". highwaysisters.com.
  14. "Amelia Presley". IMDb.
  15. "Country Artist Amelia Presley and Husband Austin Evans are Expecting-It's A Girl!". Sai Saran. Archived from the original on 2016-09-17. Retrieved 2016-09-09.
  16. "Amelia Presley Top Albums". iTunes.
  17. "Highway Sisters To Perform at The Grand Ole Opry!". Retrieved 19 August 2017.
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