Girl Authority
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | June 2005 |
| Founder | Samantha Hammel, Scott Billington, John Virant |
| Defunct | 2010 |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Music albums, singles, EPs |
Number of employees | 9 (members) |
Girl Authority was a nine-member American pop cover group featuring girls between the ages of 8 and 13: Jacqueline Laviolette, Carly Grayson, Jessica "Jess" Bonner, Crystal Evans, Kate Barker, Zoë Virant, Jessica Tarr, Gina Miele, and Alexandra "Alex" Bilbo. Established in the summer of 2005 by vocal coach and executive producer Samantha Hammel, Grammy-winning producer Scott Billington, and Rounder Records CEO John Virant (father of Zoë), the ensemble dissolved in 2010 following the conclusion of their contracts with Rounder Records. Since then, most members have pursued higher education while maintaining strong friendships.
Prior to the group's formation, the girls had collectively participated in local musical theater productions for five years. Each member embraced a unique character identity: Laviolette as All-Star Girl, Grayson as Glamour Girl, Bonner as Boho Girl, Evans as Country Girl, Barker as Party Girl, Virant as Preppy Girl, Tarr as Rock N' Roll Girl, Miele as Urban Girl, and Bilbo as Fashion Girl.
Their inaugural album, Girl Authority, launched in April 2006 under Zoë Records, climbed to #9 on Billboard's Top Kid Audio chart and attained #17 on the Top Heatseekers list. The record comprised covers of popular tracks such as Madonna’s Material Girl and Kelly Clarkson’s Breakaway, promoted through television advertisements on Nickelodeon. The group shared performances with The Dresden Dolls in Boston and appeared alongside the Jonas Brothers and Jesse McCartney. Additionally, they made an appearance on CBS’s The Early Show.
The follow-up album, Road Trip, released on March 13, 2007, featured a revamped version of an unreleased Depeche Mode track titled "Let's Get Together," written by Vince Clarke. Contributions from artists like Cyndi Lauper ("Shine") and Tanya Donelly (who penned four songs including "This Is My Day") were included. Original compositions such as "Rhythm of the World" by Ch!pz, "Wild Side" performed by Jessica Tarr, and their signature tune "Girl Authority" were part of the album. They also issued a Halloween-themed EP available exclusively at iParty stores. The group officially disbanded three years later in 2010.
Awards
- Best Audio—iParenting Media
Side projects
In June 2006, Girl Authority recorded "The Star-Spangled Banner" along with a theme song for the Club Libby Lu retail chain. They released a holiday single titled "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town", which was distributed exclusively via Rhapsody, URGE, Zune, and iTunes. The group was also featured in the Beacon Street Girls book series in July. They organized a songwriting competition for readers and selected "I Am Me," composed by fourteen-year-old Allison Boudreau from Swansea, Massachusetts, offering it as a free download on the Beacon Street Girls website. Other finalists included entries from Marissa of Ontario, Canada, Charlotte from Saskatchewan, Canada, and Brook from Illinois.
Albums
- Girl Authority (2006)
- Road Trip (2007)
EPs
- Halloween Party Songs (2007)
Singles
- "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" (2006)
- "Let's Get Together" (2007)
- "I Am Me" (2008)
External links
- Girl Authority on Facebook
- Girl Authority on YouTube
- Spice Girls for The Tween Set featured in Billboard by Katy Kroll
- They think Top 40, and aren't even 14 from the Boston Globe – Bobby Hankinson