Mindi Abair facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mindi Abair
Abair performing in St. Helena, California in August 2021.
Background information
Born	(1969-05-23) May 23, 1969 (age 56) St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S.
Genres	Rock, soul, pop, Contemporary jazz, smooth jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer, radio host, band leader, author, public speaker
Instruments	Vocals, saxophone, keyboards
Years active	1991–present
Labels	Heads Up, Concord Music Group, Verve

Mindi Abair (born May 23, 1969) is an American musician. She is known for playing the saxophone and singing. Mindi is also an author and helps lead the group that puts on the Grammy Awards.

Mindi has had a very successful music career. She has released many songs that reached No. 1 on the radio. Two of her albums also hit No. 1 on the Billboard Jazz charts. She was a featured saxophonist on the TV show American Idol for two seasons. She even performed with the famous rock band Aerosmith. Mindi Abair's music has been nominated for Grammy Awards twice.

Early Life and Music Training

Mindi Abair grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida. In high school, she was the drum major for her marching band. This meant she led the band. She also won first chair alto saxophone for the Florida All-State Jazz Band. This is a big honor for young musicians.

After high school, Mindi went to the University of North Florida on a scholarship. She later moved to Boston to study at Berklee College of Music. She also received a scholarship there. In 1991, she graduated with a degree in Woodwind Performance. While in college, she started her very first band.

Music Career and Albums

Starting Out in Los Angeles

After college in 1991, Mindi moved to Los Angeles, California. She started playing her music in clubs and coffee shops. She even played her saxophone on the street in Santa Monica. This helped her get noticed. Jazz keyboardist Bobby Lyle hired her to play on his CD and tour with him.

Over the next ten years, Mindi toured with many famous artists. She played saxophone, sang, and played keyboards. Some of the artists she toured with include Adam Sandler, John Tesh, and the Backstreet Boys. She also helped put together Mandy Moore's first band.

Releasing Her Own Music

Mindi released her first solo album, Always and Never the Same, on her own. It was a pop music album. In 2003, she signed with Verve Records. She then released It Just Happens That Way, which became a top 10 jazz album. Her Christmas song "I Can't Wait for Christmas" became a hit in some areas.

Her album Life Less Ordinary came out in 2006. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart. Two songs from that album, "True Blue" and "Bloom," also hit No. 1 on the radio.

Collaborations and Grammy Nominations

In 2013, Mindi worked with Dave Koz, Gerald Albright, and Richard Elliot on the album Summer Horns. This album was nominated for a Grammy Award.

In 2014, Mindi released Wild Heart. This album also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Jazz chart. It featured famous musicians like Gregg Allman and Joe Perry. Wild Heart was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2015.

Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers

In 2015, Mindi started a new band called Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers. The band includes Mindi Abair (saxophone, vocals) and Randy Jacobs (guitar, vocals). They released a live album called Live in Seattle.

In 2017, they released their first studio album, The EastWest Sessions. This album featured blues and rock songs. It reached No. 3 on the Billboard Blues Albums Chart. They also released a holiday album in 2018 called All I Got For Christmas Is The Blues. In 2019, their album No Good Deed reached No. 3 on the Billboard Blues Albums Chart.

Mindi also started a website called PrettyGoodForAGirl.net. This website celebrates amazing women and aims to make the phrase "pretty good for a girl" a positive one.

Radio and TV Appearances

Radio Host

From 2007 to 2015, Mindi hosted her own nationally syndicated radio show. It was called "Chill With Mindi Abair." The show played relaxing "chill out" music.

Television Performances

Mindi was a featured saxophonist on American Idol in 2011 and 2012. She performed with many contestants. The judge Steven Tyler was very impressed with her. He even invited her to join his band, Aerosmith, on their 2012 summer tour. She played sax and sang backing vocals for them.

Mindi also played with the CBS Orchestra on the Late Show with David Letterman. She appeared on the show several times. She has also been on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Other Important Roles

Mindi Abair has been very involved with the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. This is the group that presents the Grammy Awards. In 2009, she was elected to their board in Los Angeles. In 2013, she became the President of the Los Angeles Chapter. In 2015, she was elected as a National Trustee for the entire Recording Academy. This shows how respected she is in the music industry.

Discography

Studio Albums

• Always and Never the Same (1999)
• It Just Happens That Way (2003)
• Come As You Are (2005)
• Life Less Ordinary (2007)
• Stars (2008)
• In Hi-Fi Stereo (2010)
• Wild Heart (2014)
• Mindi Abair & The Boneshakers – The EastWest Sessions (2017)
• Mindi Abair & The Boneshakers – No Good Deed (2019)
• Forever (2022)

Christmas Albums

• I Can't Wait for Christmas (2004)
• Mindi Abair & The Boneshakers – All I Got For Christmas Is The Blues (2018)

Live Albums

• Mindi Abair & The Boneshakers – Live in Seattle (2015)

Collaboration Albums

• Peter White Christmas (2007)
• Dave Koz and Friends: Summer Horns (2013)
• Peter White Christmas LIVE! (2015)

Singles

See also

In Spanish: Mindi Abair para niños