NINE-YEAR-OLD VOCAL PHENOM
OLIVER RICHMAN IS ‘DEFYING GRAVITY’
WITH THE SEPTEMBER 3 ROLLOUT OF
HIS DEBUT MUSIC VIDEO ON YOUTUBE,
VARIOUS SOCIAL NETWORKS AND
HIS OWN WEBSITE, WWW.OLIVERRICHMAN.COM
It’s been an incredible summer for powerful young vocal phenoms!
First, 10-year-old soprano Jackie Evancho wowed the world a la Susan Boyle with her stirring debut on “America’s Got Talent” in August, and now, nine-year-old Los Angeles based triple threat prodigy Oliver Richman is “Defying Gravity” with an exciting new video that debuted across the internet September 3.
The beautifully shot, sunsplashed clip of Oliver singing the trademark song from “Wicked” (originally performed on Broadway by Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth) now posted on YouTube.com at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlxGt9cmqgo and on his own website, www.oliverrichman.com, has already met with overwhelming response receiving more than 5,000 views in three days.
Though his age is not yet in double digits, Oliver has been entertaining audiences for several years with his powerful voice, energetic stage presence and diverse dancing and acting strengths. The video is designed as a professional intro/debut to his multitude of talents, just as the early YouTube clips of pop sensation Justin Bieber were instrumental to launching his career.
One of the songs Bieber recorded early on, in fact, was “Someday at Christmas,” a classic Stevie Wonder hit, written by Oliver’s maternal grandfather, legendary Motown songwriter Ron Miller. Bieber was also invited to the White House to sing it for President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
While Oliver has the charisma, charm and ambition to become a musical force of nature all on his own, there’s no denying the musical creativity in his genes. Ron Miller has penned some of the biggest hit songs in history recorded by legendary recording artists around the world, including “For Once In My Life,” “Touch Me In The Morning,” and“Place In the Sun,” to name a few. These songs have sold millions and have been recorded by top artists including Barbra Streisand, Stevie Wonder, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Diana Ross, Celine Dion, Michael Bolton, Michael Bublé and Harry Conick, Jr. In 2007, Ron was awarded (posthumously) the Heroes and Legends Lifetime Achievement Award in Songwriting.
Oliver’s paternal grandfather, Peter Mark Richman, has starred in over 500 television shows and movies and has performed on Broadway, off-Broadway and in numerous theaters across the country. He is known as one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood. Coming from the Actors Studio and the Broadway Theater, he has appeared and starred in many films including: “Friendly Persuasion,” “The Black Orchid,” “The Strange One,” “The Dark Intruder,” “For Singles Only” and “Naked Gun 2 1/2.”
Oliver’s mother, Lisa Dawn Miller, is a successful singer, writer and producer. His stepfather, Sandy Hackett (son of legendary comedian Buddy Hackett) is a well-known comedian, actor, writer and producer. Sandy and Lisa are the producers of “Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack Show,” currently running fulltime on the Las Vegas Strip at the Sahara Hotel & Casino and in theaters across the country. Miller and Hackett will be debuting the show in Egypt this coming December.
Oliver has made numerous special guest appearances in the show and is currently preparing for his upcoming role as “Young Frank Sinatra.”
