"Joy could sing before she could talk" says Joy Norman's Mom.

We're not sure about that, but we do know that Joy's first 'public' concert was for the owner of the local store when she was 2 1/2 years old!

From that time onward, Joy has performed at an amazing list of concerts and events. At the age of 12 she was featured on the 'St. Bride's / Cuslett Come Home Year CD'.

Just a few days after her 13th birthday, Joy's beautiful rendition of 'Let Me Fish Off Cape St. Mary's' was recorded for the Discovery Channel television program and video about Cape St. Mary's.

Since then she has performed at the Hotel Newfoundland, Club Etomix, Mile One Stadium, Holy Heart Auditorium, the St. John's Arts and Culture Center, the Southern Shore Shamrock Festival, Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival, Terra Nova Festival, Brigus Blueberry Festival, and literally a hundred other places.

She has shared stages with many of the finest musicians in Atlantic Canada and beyond. Her showcase in November 2001 at The Music Industry Association of Newfoundland and Labrador annual conference was a huge success, gaining her radio, television and newspaper interviews.

In 2001, age 15, Joy went to Toronto to record her first CD 'Lately' at Paul Mills' Millstream studio. Paul produced Joy's CD and added it to his long long list of successful recordings by such artists as Stan Rogers, Terry Kelly, Ron Hynes, Tanglefoot, April Verch and Aengus Finnan, to name just a few. Paul's studio walls are covered with gold and platinum records he has received over the years.

We provided Joy with some of the finest session musicians available. They included drummer Al Cross who has performed on several of Great Big Sea's recordings and also recorded with Natalie MacMaster and a host of other renowned performers. Fiddler Don Reed is best known for his 3 gold record recordings in Nashville with Dwight Yoakam and also recorded with Jackson Browne and Buck Owens among others. Joy's other session players, including Loretto Reid and Tom Leighton have recorded with many of the biggest names in Canadian Celtic, Traditional, Folk and Blues music. Everyone remarked on Joy's amazing poise and compusure and her sweet voice.

We chose the songs for 'Lately' from Joy's repertoire and also from some of our favourite Canadian and International songwriters. The range of music on the CD reflects a bit of Joy's very eclectic musical taste. Every song, from the oldest Irish ballad, to Joy's signature song 'Cape Shore Lady' has a special connection for Joy. All of the songwriters who have heard her renditions of their songs have nothing but praise for her interpretations.

A special honour was to have Joy do a duet on 'Red is the Rose' with brilliant young Canadian singer /songwriter Aengus Finnan, who wrote her title track 'Lately'. Joy co-wrote Girl From Red Island and Cape Shore Lady with Jerry Walsh.

Since 'Lately' was released in September 2001 , Joy has received radio air play from the most northern parts of Alaska to Trinidad, California, Australia, Germany and many places in between. Response from music industry professionals and fans has been wonderful. She was chosen 'New Artist of the year' for 2001 on CKUA Radio, Calgary Alberta. Cape Shore Lady was the number 8 song on the CHCM music charts for 2001. She has done phone interviews in Honolulu and Adelaide Australia and has received fan mail from around the world.

In the summer of 2002 'Cape Shore Lady' was included in the Homebrew 3 compilation CD and has received extensive radio play.

When not performing, Joy lives with her family in St. Bride's on Newfoundland's beautiful Cape Shore. Joy's Newfoundland roots stretch back nearly 200 years and anyone who knows Joy will confirm that she is very proud of her heritage and her Island. Joy is a multi-talented young woman. She is in grade 12 this year and plans to attend university. She excels in school, with 'all 90's ' grades.

Her interests include playing and listening to many musical styles, poetry [nationally published at age 12], taekwondo [she is one level away from her black belt] and performing in local theatre productions.

An impressive resume, I think, for a young woman who is barely 17 years old. I am certain that Newfoundland and the world will be hearing much more from Joy. Her musical journey is just beginning! Gannet Music is proud to have helped start her along the way.

Jerry Walsh Gannet Music September 2002

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