"Bonnie Bishop is so talented, and very special. She’s an amazing presence. I think she’s going to be a big star." (Bonnie Raitt)

Nashville, TN - Be Squared Records proudly announces the national debut release of singer/songwriter/musician BONNIE BISHOP's "FREE" on OCTOBER 9, 2012.

Produced by Bonnie Bishop (with help from keyboard player/songwriter Jimmy Wallace) "FREE" was recorded & mixed in Nashville, TN by John Painter at IHOF. Joining Bonnie (Lead, Harmonies and Acoustic Guitar) in the studio were Jimmy Wallace (piano/organ/clavinet), Steve Mackey (bass), Fred Eltringham (drums/percussion), Rob McNelley and Sam Hawksley (electric & acoustic guitars).

On "FREE", Bonnie's unapologetically honest stories of survival and redemption find their way into empowering and anthemic songs . The opening track, "Keep Using Me", is a song about the anguish of realizing that you're in a relationship that is hurting you. "It's so hard to see things clearly when youre madly in love with someone - the keyword being 'madly'. I think that song was probably the moment i realized that letting someone take advantage of you isn't what Love is about." Of the title track "Free", "a gospel-tinged confessional about redemption and reawakening" (Joey Guerra/Houston Chronicle), Bonnie Bishop states, "After my divorce, I realized I had always looked for other people to love me rather than learning to love myself. Through an incredible spiritual rebirth, I found forgiveness and self-love for the very first time and it gave me the strength and peace to move forward with my life, truly on my own. I know I'm 'free' because I don't hate myself for my mistakes anymore. I forgive myself for being human and I love myself for being who I am."

Three parts Gavin Degraw, Janis Joplin and Bonnie Raitt, with a splash of Grace Potter and a shot of Robert Earl Keen, Bonnie’s affecting lyrics and musical prowess underscore her ability to encourage and validate the listener.

Born and raised in Houston, TX, at age 12 Bonnie moved with her mom & stepdad, former Texas A&M head football coach Jackie Sherrill, and relocated to Starkville, Mississippi, where he had taken the job as the head football coach of Mississippi State University. There Bonnie joined the choir and learned to sing. The local girls used to stand in a circle at recess and harmonize together on old Boyz To Men songs et al. They eventually welcomed Bonnie in and taught her ear training and how to blend -- even vibrato, "cause I was like, ''how do y'all make ur voices shake like that?' Anyways, that's probably where I picked up my soul. In Mississippi." She left Mississippi in 1995 and returned to finish high school in Houston. Two years later, Bonnie moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas.

In 2002, Bonnie started touring on the Americana and Lone Star state music circuits and released four regionally-acclaimed albums over a period of six years during which she received a nomination for Vocal Performance of the Year at the Lone Star Music Awards.

In 2008, Bonnie came off the road and moved to Nashville to pursue a songwriting career. She married and divorced during this touring hiatus, only to write her way through the heartache and find fortitude and faith among her instruments.

“My music evolved because I fundamentally changed,” said Bonnie. “My experiences in the last few years, however painful, taught me humility and personal accountability. I learned how strong my faith in God was when I actually had to rely on it, not just profess it. I learned the art of gratitude and forgiving myself.”

Her soulful compositions and raspy voice outlive her personal reinvention as she finds driving rock rhythms in her guitar and on her piano ¬ the latest addition to her cadre of talent. Bonnie wrote the new material with a simple notion in mind: You have to love yourself before you can fully love and be loved by anyone else.

Bonnie frequently writes with some of the most lauded songwriters in Nashville including Mike Reid, Al Anderson (NRBQ), Lee Roy Parnell, Pat McLaughlin and Seth Walker. “Not ‘Cause I Wanted To,” a song she co-wrote with Anderson, was recently recorded by her musical hero Bonnie Raitt for Raitt's "Slipstream" album released this past April -- a dream come true for Bishop.

When she’s not touring, Bonnie Bishop calls Nashville her home. Her creativity also comes to life in the kitchen where she’s perfecting a style of healthy cuisine as unique as her music.

Full of life and reinvigorated, Bonnie's excited to meet new fans and reconnect with those who’ve supported her over the years.
Whether she’s performing an intimate, one-woman show or rocking out with a full band, Bonnie’s music will shake your core, lift you up and bring you back around to the bright side. Bonnie Bishop's music will set you "Free".