Everything You Wanted to Know About Secondhand Rose But Were Afraid to Ask - AND THEN SOME!

Secondhand Rose is singer/songwriter/guitarist Rose Oyamot and whoever happens to be sharing their musical talents with her at the moment.
For a while, Secondhand Rose was a duo - compromised of Rose Oyamot and the shimmering accompanying vocals of Kemmie Giddens. Secondhand Rose then became a band including: Jeff Koenig (harmonica), Greylynn Carr (lead guitar), Josh Amberg (bass), and Mike Pinaud (drums). Then, the band became a duo again; only this time it was Rose and "Bass Messiah", J. Quigley. In between, other talented musicians would lend their energy to the Secondhand Rose sound.
Ultimately, Secondhand Rose is simply Rose - whether she is playing as a duo, a band, or solo, as she most often does - with just her guitar, her voice, and her big black boots. So, to answer the most frequently asked question, "why Secondhand Rose?" - it just fits.

Early Influences:

While growing up in Hawaii, Rose was influenced and inspired by the songs of Disney, Jem & the Holograms, Kids, Inc., and the Jets (it was the early 80's!). From Disney, she learned how to be melodic and to sing harmony naturally. Jem and Kids, Inc. taught her that anyone, oh, yes, anyone could be a star if they really wanted to. Perhaps, most inspirationally, the Jets demonstrated that being an ethnic - more specifically, Asian/Pacific - musician/performer was possible in a mainstream pop world.

Transitional Stage:

Years later, under the influence of her oldest brother, Rose's musical tastes began to mature. She became immersed in the sounds of the Beatles and cried a lot when listening to the Indigo Girls. That is all she did for a few years (also, due to the fact she was now living in Las Vegas, NV...it was very hot.)
In the time she wasn't crying, Rose wrote sad poems and learned to play guitar. Then she discovered cafes and open mikes (oh, you see it coming, don't you...) where she discovered her true passion - Thai iced coffees - AND singing.

Secondhand Rose is Born!

Rose began performing her original songs shortly after in the cafes of Las Vegas (all six of 'em!) as well as Borders Bookstores, and many a bar scene. She also played numerous music and art fairs and anywhere else they would allow her.
Her well-crafted songs combined with earnest and emotional vocals garnered positive response. While her songs and vocals are sincere, they are not dripping with saccharine, which also attracted her audience (and if a song was too sweet, she at least warns her listeners.)
Mostly, Rose continues to gain appreciative listeners because of her humour, enthusiasm and pure enjoyment in "spreading the love" and understanding through her music.

Recently, Rose made a major change and migrated up to Minneapolis, Minnesota for their thriving acoustic/folk coffeehouse scene. Immediately, she threw herself into open mikes and started making herself known.
Secondhand Rose has performed at many Minneapolis venues including: Dunn Bros. Cafe, the Montana Coffeehouse, the Riverview Cafe, the Depot Cafe (in Hopkins), and Borders Bookstore (in Richfield.)
Currently, Rose is working on getting a "secondhand band" together and plans to record a cd next summer, 2003. Until then, Secondhand Rose will continue to "spread the love" through her music, so keep an eye out for this acoustic delight!