Nicole Ruberto
“Gee, Noodles…why so grumpy?”
Nicole Ruberto is an
experienced lead singer in her own right. It’s been a real luxury for me to
have a voice like hers providing my primary backing vocals. Even though her duties
focus heavily on singing the harmonies, Nicole has the vocal ability to take
center stage and bring the house down belting out rock, country, and blues
favorites, with chops to cover some of the most challenging material.
Nicole has been
performing music all her life. Before she was even in kindergarten, her big
voice was raising eyebrows, especially when people heard her singing songs from
the musical “Annie” with a vocal quality that mirrored then title character,
Andrea McCardle. One memory from that time she never lets me live down is how I
would send her friends home and send her to her room if she ever refused to
sing for my friends when asked. I guess not much has changed.
Nicole’s comical nature and quick wit made
her the shoe-in candidate in the voting for “Commencement
Class Speaker” at her high school graduation. Before High School ended
though, her outstanding vocal talents led her to be chosen as one of 1989’s “All-State Vocalist” honorees, over
hundreds of others who auditioned.
After High School, Nicole went to
During the “hippy-revival” years of the early 90’s, Nicole spent the majority
of her college study time singing in a “Grateful
Dead” cover band called “The Eleven”.
(Referencing
the mockumentary band “Spinal Tap,” who said that, unlike most amplifiers with
volume knobs that only go up to ten, theirs are custom made to go all the way
to eleven...)
When it came time to take life a little
more seriously though, Nicole left
Currently, (when she’s not
frolicking about the stage with her ‘Muppet-Like’ enthusiasm) Nicole is a nurse at “
As her older brother, it’s my duty to bust
her chops and give her a rough time…and I do. All kidding aside though, I can honestly
say that Nicole is one of the most loyal and considerate people I’ve ever
known, and I’m tremendously grateful that I have her in my corner.
From Bea Arthur to Mariah Carey, she can
darn-near shatter glass!
Favorite Artists:
Jeff Buckley, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow,
Hobbies:
In the little free
time Nicole can find outside of her job and the band, she enjoys movies,
writing, reading, and spending time with her ornery Siamese cat, BLUE.