New York, NY (Top40 Charts) What started out as a $75 gig to sing in a P!NK tribute band lead to Collette McLafferty (41) being sued for $10M and almost ended her career. She overcame with a new video covering P!NK's Perfect (with 20,000 views on Facebook) and her first solo album "42" being released on her 42nd birthday, 11/23. She also found a calling for both legal reform and ageism activism, calling for all women to "feel no shame."
Collette McLafferty had enjoyed a 21 year career as the lead singer of the popular east coast indie band edibleRed (signed to Select Records), a commercial singer for major brands such as Mattel and MetLife, a session singer, and a semi-finalist on America's Next Broadway Star. She and her band were featured on MTV Buzzworthy, VH1 and had much success abroad.
Collette was hired to be the lead singer in a local P!NK Tribute band that, unbeknownst to her, was in a civil war between the current band owner and his former partner, who was also a personal injury lawyer. Out of anger the former partner filed a law suit suing the current band leader and Collette for $10M. In the lawsuit he claimed that she was "too ugly" and "too out of tune" to sing in a P!NK Tribute band. The New York Post picked up the story and headlined it "Singer sued for being too old and ugly for Pink cover band". Time Magazine's website, Yahoo News and several other new sources picked up the headline. >From there Collette's world crumbled amongst the viral media sensationalism which now deemed the 41 old singer "too old" as well as "ugly and a mediocre singer", despite her career success and classical training from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy.
With the lawsuit still in litigation, Collette has managed to turn her nightmare into a cause to help countless people by becoming a leader in lawsuit reform through the Lawsuit Reform Alliance and introducing Collette's Law into New York
State legislation. Collette's Law will help "discourage meritless and frivolous litigation" by increasing the cost liability for those initiating them. Collette's Law will help save millions in taxpayer dollars as well as save innocent bystanders from going through the emotional and economic horror of unwarranted legal action.
Through the turmoil of the last year Collette has discovered the beauty of having nearly 42 years of life experience. She has come out against ageism in the entertainment industry and dedicated her first solo album, entitled "42", (sneak peak of 1st single "Lunacy") to women who are told their talent is diminished by their age. She created the #feelnoshame campaign urging women of all ages to post pictures with their true age on social media.
In Collette's own words, "Today I am stronger, more experienced and have greater inner and outer beauty. As I turn 42, I truly Feel No Shame!"
