Roger Anthony "Yolanda" Mapes: a country,gospel,rock singer/songwriter specializing in spreading love and beautiful melodies with sincerity and a sense of gender-bending humor. Think Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton in a blender with a BIG splash of Louise Hay and John Waters...and you've got inspiration, great vocals, a big heart, and terrific costumes!
Bio: Roger Anthony (Tony) Mapes; singer songwriter, painter, and performance artist was born and raised in Muscle Shoals, Alabama - “The Hit Recording Capital of the World” and the birthplaces of Helen Keller and W.C. Handy. The Muscle Shoals area was populated by an abundance of musicians and visual artists. He began studying music, painting and drawing at a young age with local artists and was encouraged to develop his own unique vision. Roger is influenced by pop, rock, blues, country, and folk, but doesn’t self-consciously follow any one tradition…combining them all into some hybrid of his own.
As YOLANDA singer/songwriter/gender warrior with his/her band “Yolanda and the Plastic Family”, Roger created the character “Yolanda”, wrote the music, created the costumes, toured and recorded 2 discs with “The Plastic Family”: “Welcome To YolandaWorld” (LP) and “Yolanda and the Plastic Family” (EP). For more info on YOLANDA visit: http://www.yolanda.net
For Roger’s paintings and other info about Roger visit:
http://www.rogeranthonymapes.com
Awards and Accomplishments:
August 2010: Roger/Yolanda's cd current HOUSE OF JOY is #8 in the Top 40 GLBT music charts at www.OutVoice.net
Roger Anthony Mapes nominated for 2009 LA Music Award: Best Christian Contemporary Artist:
http://www.myspace.com/lamusicawards
"Love Divine" enters permanent play list on Song Vault radio:
http://www.songvault.fm/artists/roger_anthony_mapes.htm
2007 Best Vocalist from The Bear Music Awards and was entered into their Hall of Fame:
http://www.myspace.com/2007bearmusicawards
2005 inducted into the GLBT Hall of Fame:
http://www.glbthalloffame.com/standinginductees.htm
Roger Anthony Mapes: singer/songwriter/lead vocals/acoustic guitar
Robert Urban: production/guitar/piano
Gerald Menke: production/guitar/dobro/mandolin
Freddy Freeman: mixing/remastering
George Micheal
John Denver
Cat Stevens
Crosby Stills Nash and Young
Cowboy Junkies
