Episode 118: Tori Amos

5 Questions With Dan Schawbel

01/18/21 • 6 min

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My guest today is singer, songwriter, and pianist, Tori Amos. Tori has composed songs that focus on a broad range of topics including politics and religion since the 1980s. She’s been listed as VH1’s “100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll” and has received 5 MTV VMA and 8 Grammy Award nominations. I spoke to Tori about the times and tribulations of her career, as she wrote in her book “Resistance”, during this podcast episode.

The 5 questions I ask in this episode:

Unlike your siblings, you didn’t need piano lessons growing up because it came naturally to you. When did you realize that you had musical talent and what motivated you to turn that talent into a career?
In the 1980s you signed with Atlantic Records, moved to LA, and formed a band producing an album that wasn’t successful. What did you learn from this experience that proved to be useful later?
How has your role as an artist changed since you first started your career and what obstacles do today’s artists have to overcome to sustain themselves?
You have created decades worth of music influenced by social and political movements. Our world feels more divided than ever, yet issues like the coronavirus pandemic, climate change, and income inequality require all of us to band together. How do you think your music and this book can provide encouragement to people who want to make a difference?
What’s your best piece of career advice?

Follow Tori’s journey:

01/18/21 • 6 min