Tonia Tecce: The Philly-Based 'Crossover Soprano' Has Plenty To 'Smile' About On Her Latest Timeless Collection

LOS ANGELES (Top40 Charts/ LUCK Media & Marketing) - Long before Susan Boyle took the stage on 'Britain's Got Talent,' shocked Simon Cowell and became a global phenomenon, Tonia Tecce was living her own dream, embodying the exciting truth that it's never too late. The Philadelphia-based crossover soprano was captivating thousands of fans everywhere from the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philly to Carnegie Hall with her powerful, soaring vocals and the tale behind the amazing journey which led her to center stage.

Anyone who thought Tecce was crazy to start pursuing her singing career in the early 1980s after deferring her lifelong dream to raise six kids might think she's madder yet to launch a recording career at an age when most people are settling into retirement. The singer, who also has 12 grandchildren, has two responses for them: What A Wonderful World, her 2006 independent debut and Smile, her glorious new, ten-track collection of uniquely selected secular and spiritual songs.

While Tecce may be a new name to those outside her regular performing base on the East Coast, her collaborators are world renowned. Grammy-nominated arranger/accompanist/conductor Byron Olson has worked with legends of opera (Placido Domingo), pop (Gloria Estefan, Johnny Mathis), jazz (Carmen McRae) and folk rock (Richie Havens) and The London Symphony. Repertoire consultant Ettore Stratta has conducted The London Symphony, The English Chamber Orchestra and The Royal Philharmonic.

John Vanore, producer of both What A Wonderful World and Smile, was a featured trumpet soloist with the Woody Herman Orchestra and has accompanied everyone from Tony Bennett and Sammy Davis, Jr. to Nancy Wilson. He also earned a gold record for producing Michael Crawford's 1998 inspirational album On Eagle's Wings.

Tecce has told her story on local media and before live audiences throughout the Delaware Valley. Accompanied by favorites from Broadway and the Hollywood screen, along with classical songs and arias, her story enhanced her reputation as a popular beloved performer in the region