DESIDERATA MUSIC

CJ HARDING was born and grew up in Savannah, Georgia loving the music of Patsy Cline, Hank Williams, Elvis and various folk artists. She learned to sing from listening to Patsy. An only child, she grew up with aspirations to one day be like the artists she so admired. CJ was able to purchase a guitar when she turned fourteen and along with a Joan Baez songbook, taught herself to play. She sang for her relatives and friends and soon began performing in local venues in her hometown. Her career was put on hold when she married and began a family of her own. Later she moved to the west coast and settled in California and began performing in local pubs & college auditoriums. Soon she was performing all over the Northwest and eventually moved to Vancouver, BC where she worked in the firm industry as an actor. There she performed in live theater, worked in commercials and films and developed a costume designing business.

With a desire to be closer to her roots and her family, she returned to Florida to pursue a music career once again. After playing in local venues, she formed an all female band and hit the road. Soon she and her band Desiderata were playing cruise ships. People kept requesting Patsy Cline songs, so she decided to create a tribute to Patsy Cline. The show was a tremendous hit! The ballroom was filled to capacity. It was difficult to keep a band together that could travel without other commitments, so she had the music recorded and took her one-woman show on the road with just a sound technician to run the show. It was almost as if Patsy had chosen her. She feels comfortable filling Patsy’s shoes. When CJ struts on stage wearing costumes she has made, based on what Patsy Cline wore, with her blond hair tucked underneath a brown wig and sings with that rich voice, you would think that Cline was still alive. The success of the Patsy Cline Tributes has exceeded beyond her wildest dreams.

          A few of CJ’s most memorable performances were in Cline’s hometown of Winchester, VA. The people in Winchester gave CJ their seal of approval, as have so many thousands of others. She has also performed with the Grand Ole Opry on several occasions and opened for such greats as John-Michael Montgomery and Ray Stevens. Her Tribute has been successful for many city events and Cultural Center seasonal performances.

          CJ now winters in Florida and summers in Minnesota. She performs many shows per year and spends the rest of her time involved with the business of bookings, advertising, promoting, songwriting and relaxing

         After performing the Patsy Cline Tribute for thirteen years, she decided to create a new show based on her songwriting and lifetime stories. With the reputation CJ has created as Patsy Cline, fans of all ages keep returning and in actuality have become CJ Harding fans. Whether she performs as Patsy or herself, she will always leave you wanting more.

www.cjharding.com                                                                                                                                               Phone: (727) 642-4256         Email: desideratamusic@gmail.com