Vocals / Keyboards / Guitar

Christy McKinnon was born in Tokyo,Japan and raised in Seattle, Washington. She started playing piano around the age of 10.The youngest of four,she was influenced by all styles of music and she loved to sing.

Her first band came at the age of 19 as a singer in a "country band", based out of Mount Vernon, Washington.

Following that, she sang and played some rhythm guitar in a Seattle based band,that performed "rock and roll" cover tunes and original music.At the age of 22, she had the opportunity to tour, for many years, with another Seattle based band, performing all over the Great Northwest, California, South Dakota, Alaska and parts of Canada, where she further developed her performing skills as a singer, keyboard player and sometimes drummer playing many styles of music.

In recent years, she has been performing with the Blackvelvet Duo and the Blackvelvet Band, singing and playing keyboards and rhythm guitar.

In the fall of 2009, the Blackvelvet Band was the core band of an allstar show that included a rare U.S. appearance by Mungo Jerry ( of "In the Summertime" fame) as well as an appearance by Alan White from "Yes".

In the past 2 years, she was invited to perform with an "Allstar Band" at the "NAMM" show in Anaheim,California, singing and playing keyboards with musicians who who have played with many well known bands, like the Johnny Winter Band, Blue Oyster Cult,Yes, AC/DC, Mungo Jerry and David Crosby's Band to name a few.

Music is her passion. There is no doubt about it when you see and hear her perform.