At the center, is the song. Amy Stokes, prolific writer, singer, performer, and artist, finds inspiration in life’s simple beauties. Originally from Greenville, Mississippi, Stokes emerges from the shadows and now steps center stage to launch her first solo project. From performing in New York city clubs in the mid 90s, recording country music demos on Nashville’s music row throughout the late 90’s, a deep seeded history in the Mississippi Delta Blues, playing with her 6-piece, original pop-rock band, The Kirkwood 30, and heading up an eclectic jazz quintet - every era of her career gave her not only rich experiences but new discoveries.

University of Georgia alumni, and Bill Esper Acting Studio in New York City, Stokes history in music is lively, free spirited, and authentic. Adhering to no one’s path but her own, the artist carved out her place through years of collaboration - in theater, in writing rooms, on stages all across the country, and most importantly, in relationships.

“Music always provided a safe place for me to run to when I was a child, and it has been a vital part of my life ever since,” Stokes says. “As a result of my life experiences, my heartfelt desire is that people be inspired to live out their true passions in life. To kick fear in the face. To know that it’s ok if you got emotionally or developmentally stuck because you’ve experienced deep loss. You have to work hard and fight and in doing so can jump right back up into your highest level of potential after a setback.”

Stokes debut single, “Easy Loving You,” the first track from her forthcoming EP, is a salute to the craft of music creation - innovative, inspirational, and optimistic. Sonically inspired by artists like Emmy Lou Harris, Sheryl Crow, Bonnie Raitt, Patty Griffin and Grace Potter, Stokes brings her personal story full circle.

With this EP, Stokes wanted the world to hear and feel hope - taking listeners back in time, to those fun summers growing up with friends; supporting each other, dancing, loving & having a good time just being together. “When you listen to my songs, it is my desire to evoke the emotion you may need to feel in that given moment. Then, I know I will have done my job as an artist.”

Singing with great clarity, power, and a kind of empathetic conviction - her ability to captivate and deliver the emotion of any lyric is what truly shapes and contributes to her signature sound.

“All of these years I have thought it is all in the letting go, but now I see that it is not simply in the letting go but in the holding on at the same time,” Stokes says. “I am starting to see the beauty in it all. That my grief is a reflection of pure love; a love that endures forever.”

In addition to her solo project, Stokes is also an author, in the final steps of writing her book “13 Divas.”

Today, she performs in Nashville with her new band, Amy Stokes & The Fire, another 6-piece ensemble, lighting things up in her own way again.