Sarah Walden's Biography

self portrait copyright Sarah Walden

Sarah was born into the Nashville music industry. The world famous WSM radio station even had a live spot from her crib & a name-the-baby contest! She grew up in the peculiar atmosphere of the backstage of the Opry. Held on the Manuel-clad laps of music legends, she was soaking up the love of the dancing rhythms & the sparkling rhinestones in her little heart where they percolated over time into a rich, self-made sound that pays tributes to her roots while breaking the traditional forms. She worked her way through elementary school, lisping jingles & catchphrases for the town's tune smiths. Her father is a legend in the CCM world & her immersion in the industry led to opportunities to sing live & in-studio for stars like Amy Grant, Michael Card & Michael W. Smith. At ten, she was already singing live vocals for artists like Michael Johnson on The Ralph Emery Show. Her band in high school traveled around the South, playing for dignitaries & opening for acts like Bela Fleck & Wynton Marsalis. Traveling Europe, she became inspired by the Romantics & her experiences with the Romany (gypsies.)  After leaving Christian music, musical theater was a way of life & she built a strong cabaret repertoire. A gifted mimic, her greatest challenge was to craft her own sound. She threw out her formal training, picked up a guitar - read something about "three chords and the truth" and she was off. Teaching herself guitar, what she thought as of her limitations, soon became her signature sound as Know Naught Psarah. Married now to local drum hero, David Walden- Sarah Mason is now Sarah Walden. She is creating Outsider music. Authentic and heart-felt and hand-crafted. -Ebone' Graham

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