Few folk singers boast the success - or the backstory - of Regina Spektor.
With the Russian-born hitmaker's upcoming performance at Smith College's John M. Greene Hall on Tuesday billed as a rare solo appearance, here are five fast facts about the singer and pianist that broke into the mainstream with 2004's "Soviet Kitsch" and followed up with 2006's hit single "Fidelity."
Spektor hails from Russia - and a very, very musical family.
Given her birth name - Regina Ilyinchna Spektor - the former may not come as much of a surprise. But before emigrating to the United States from Moscow in 1989 during a period known as "Perestroika," when Soviet citizens were allowed to emigrate, Spektor was already years into classical piano training.
The young musician's formal training was so serious, in fact, that her parents - father Ilya, an amateur violinist and mother Bella, a former music professor - considered staying in the Soviet Union before emigrating due to racial and political discrimination that Jews faced in the Soviet Union.
She was exposed to rock n' roll music at an early age.
While exposure to the Beatles, Queen and other classic rock bands at an early age may be an afterthought for young musicians in the United States, 1980s-era Soviet Union was another story. According to author Alexei Yurchak's 2014 book, "Everything Was Forever, Until It Was No More," music faced extreme censorship, with Soviet officials seeking control over"what happens in discoteks."
With artists ranging from AC/DC to Donna Summer facing blacklisting across the Soviet Union, music aficionados often traded cassette tapes obtained in Eastern Europe. Spektor's father was no exception, exposing a young Spektor to all forms of rock music during an era where censorship over all forms of art and music ran rampant.
Her interest in songwriting took off as a teenager.
Moving to the United States and resuming classical piano studies in New York City, Spektor would become exposed to different genres of music and soon become interested in writing her own music. Becoming well-known within New York City's East Village "anti-folk" scene, Spektor's performances quickly evolved from late-night performances at the city's SideWalk Cafe and Sarah Lawrence College to opening up for nationwide tours featuring the Strokes and Kings of Leon.
Spektor is a philanthropist
Over the course of the past decade, Spektor has participated in countless benefit and memorial concerts. These include covering John Lennon's "Real Love" for "Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur" in 2007 and participating in "Songs for Tibet" to raise awareness for human rights issues in Tibet.
Spektor has also participated in campaigns in support of Planned Parenthood and to raise funds for the work of Medecins Sans Frontieres (also known as Doctors Without Borders"), benefits to help earthquake victims in Chile and Haiti. In addition, Spektor has also performed on behalf of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, an organization which helped the Spektor family emigrate from Russia.
Her music has proven to be commercially - and commercial - friendly.
Starting in 2005, various television programs and commercials have featured Spektor's music, exposing the singer and pianist to audiences unreachable either performing as part of New York City's "anti-folk" scene or opening up for nationwide acts. Spektor's "Us" was featured on British Sky Broadcasting and as part of promotional campaigns for Microsoft's Zune.
Spektor's exposure has only widened over the years, with her music being featured on shows ranging from "CSI: NY, "Veronica Mars," "Grey's Anatomy" and "Orange is the New Black," featured in films such as 2009's "(500) Days of Summer," and even include a music-related website, Consequence of Sound, being named after one of Spektor's songs.
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Regina Spektor will perform at Smith College's John M. Greene Hall on Nov. 14 at 8 p.m. Tickets start at 29.50.
For more information, visit dspshows.com/event/1519530-regina-spektor-special-solo-northampton