SAMANTHA NEWARK

Samantha began her professional music career at the age of seven. Signed to Nitty Gritty records she recorded her first record while living in Africa and then toured to support her single "Jimmy Jimbo" produced by Allan Goldswain and Mike Adams. At age 10 she and her family immigrated to America and Samantha was promptly signed to International Creative Management where she was thrust onto the State fair circuit opening for Eddie Rabbit, Pat and Debbie Boone and Mac Davis.  

She won the title role in the United States Navy band production of the musical “Annie” in Washington DC and eventually moved with her family to Burbank California where she was cast as a 12 year old Rosie in a production of the musical “Sweet Charity” and Dorothy in a Los Angeles production of “The Wizard Of Oz”.

She was a frequent young performer of The L.A. Kids cabaret that included Danielle Brisebois, Martika, Shawnee Smith and Renee Sands and performed often with the Ray Anthony orchestra at the famous Shrine Auditorium and on many telethons. She also was a featured guest vocalist at age 14 with the 65 piece Los Angeles Pops orchestra. She won the Los Angeles vocal competition at the age of 17 and then through the late 1990s started to write and record her own original music with many different incarnations of original bands.

Samantha sang the theme song “In Your Eyes” for the anime classic animated feature film “Project A-Ko” working with industry talents Joey Carbone and Richie Zito. She was hired by them again for another studio album for Japan, The American Train. She then went on to be cast as the singing voice for the on-camera actress Ivana Milicevic, performing multiple songs on the film soundtrack for the movie Crazy Six starring Rob Lowe, Burt Reynolds, Mario Van Peebles.  

She won a coveted spot as one of the 20 finalists out of 10,000 submissions for the Lilith Fair talent contest sponsored by Star 98.7 radio and Universal contests in 1999. And was one of 15 budding songwriters accepted into the coveted Lester Sill Ascap songwriting workshop where she met writer producer and long time collaborator composer Mike Reagan. She and Mike worked together through the late 1990s writing original music performing live and contributing vocals for various PlayStation games. She sang vocals on the movie soundtrack “Some Girl” starring Juliette Lewis and Giovanni Ribisi and also sang vocals in the movie “Material Girls” starring Hillary Duff. 

While living in Los Angeles she worked as a busy session singer for writer, producer Michele Vice Maslin. She has worked in the EDM world co-writing a song called "Deeper" for the German group Fragma. The version with her vocals was remixed by EDM producer Nick Terranova. She also collaborated with EDM producer Ei8ht with their multiple remixes of “My Desire”. And musician Frank Shofner hired Samantha to sing on his dance remixes of the Hall and Oats classic “ I Can’t Go For That”. 

Samantha was invited to be a part of the documentary film "Saravia" written and directed by Joaquin Montalvan about the spiritual journey into the life of painter, writer and composer Mauricio Saravia. Samantha and Saravia met in Los Angeles and worked closely together on the soundtrack for the film. Newark composed the melodies for Saravia's poetry that was featured throughout the film and she performed one of the songs live in the documentary film.

In late 2007 she auditioned for Julian Coryell to be a backup singer for Leonard Cohen.  The exciting project was set to do a world tour but after three months of rehearsals the tour was abruptly cancelled and shelved for three years. It eventually started up again with a new MD and whole new team.

Samantha made her move to Music city Nashville in Tennessee in October 2007. She released her self-titled debut album in 2008 with co-writer producer Johnny Douglas. Songs from the album have been featured in numerous television programs including Smallville, Reba, Life Is Wild, and Gossip Girl, America’s Next Top Model, as well as MTVs Laguna Beach, Punked, and My Super Sweet 16. 

Samantha released her second original studio album Somethin' Good in late October 2011 with all songs written and performed by Samantha and produced by Dave Polich, Michael Jackson's keyboard programmer on the “This Is It” concerts. Her latest original release “Hologram” is described as a "love letter" to her many devoted Jem fans. 

 “Jem" remains her most well known role and Samantha has received  invitations to meet the Jem fans at Pop Culture conventions all over the world. 

Even though the Comic con and touring world is not quite back yet, Samantha and her Jem fan base are enjoying fan favorite releases of the Jem and The Holograms collectors Funko Pops, A brand new 35th anniversary Jem doll line from Hasbro and Integrity Toys and now the Truly outrageous Jem ReAction figures from Super7 released Spring of 2021More truly outrageous Jem and The Holograms collector items are in the works from Hasbro and Diamond Select Toys coming.

Samantha's latest recording project is a Remix dance album as a compliment to the 2017 release of Hologram. Now available on neon pink vinyl and CD with multiple remix producers contributing