Biography

Driven by passion and a heart for her artistry, country artist, Amy Ames, is set to release her latest single and music video for the song, “Santa’s Littlest Elf Has Autism.”

“With this song, I want to bring attention to Autism awareness, but in a fresh way that showcases the talent and brilliance of children with Autism or Asperger’s,” says Ames. “These kids have been inventing things for years. There are countless famous people we all know like Albert Einstein or Thomas Edison, who have accomplished many great things.”

Ames said the song “Santa’s Littlest Elf Has Autism” was born out of her own experience. Yet, it was written to encourage others. Her son Sam, now 14, was diagnosed in 1999 with Asperger’s, which is a form of Autism. “The song was inspired by my son,” Ames shared. “He has an unique musical gifting of his own, but he has challenged me to pursue my own symphonic dreams.”

“Christmas is a very difficult time for children with Autism and for their families, because they are often over-stimulated with the lights and all the noise,” says Amy. “That’s why I wrote this song. I wanted people to know that people with Autism or Asperger’s can contribute to society.”

Ames and her son, Sam share a love of music, but she said that he is also very brilliant when it comes to science. Amy recalls the day when she and Sam were talking about Christmas and how Santa’s sleigh is powered to fly. She shared with him how the elves have magic and that they are able to get the sleigh up in the air. Sam responded by saying, “They don’t have magic, but if you want to get the sleigh up in the air, you have to harness an energy field.” Sam said. “If you think about, in the winter time, there isn’t much sunlight in the North Pole, but there are Northern lights, so you can harness the energy from the Northern lights…”

“Santa’s Littlest Elf Has Autism” is one of the songs from Ames forthcoming CD. The new project is a follow-up to her third CD, "I Miss Minnesota." Her previous efforts also include "All God's Children Living with Autism" and "You Bug Me, Honey!"

The song is being released on CDX in November, 2011 to over 2,600 radio stations, nationwide. The music video for “Santa’s Littlest Elf Has Autism” features Ames and her three children – Sam, James and Jackie. Here is the link for the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwIX4d2vD3E

Ames has already been recognized locally for her work with autism. Parents of Autistic Children have awarded Amy Ames five stars and best lyrics for her songs, "Baby Angel" and “Autism and Christmas,” from her sophomore effort, "All God's Children Living with Autism."

Ames strongly believes that “Santa’s Littlest Elf Has Autism” will set the stage for future opportunities for her to share about her own experience with Autism.

Ames has been busy in the studio with industry veteran and producer Eddie Hedges. This past summer, they spent time completing songs for "I Miss Minnesota." Most recently, they have focused their attention on material for an upcoming Christmas project.

Ames was born and raised in Duluth, Minnesota and graduated from East High School. She went on to college to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Minnesota, where she graduated **** laude. After graduating, she moved to Texas to teach elementary school and invested her time in graduate studies at The University of Texas, Pan American. She also got married and started a family in Southern Texas.

Initially, Ames and her daughter, Jackie Martinez, started writing zany commercials together, which were later formed into songs. After writing songs and recording, Ames titled her first upbeat effort, "You Bug Me, Honey!" which has earned her the crown of “Country Music’s Funniest Woman.” Her second project reflects on her own personal journey, "All God's Children Living with Autism" which further shares the joys and challenges of raising a child with autism. Her autistic son, Sam, 14 is now working on his own classical music CD. He was recently featured in a magazine in April, where he was recognized for his outstanding musical talent.

With the release of “Santa’s Littlest Elf Has Autism” Ames hopes that her music will provide a new means for her to give back to the community.

Visit http://www.CDBaby to purchase music from Amy Ames. For the latest news and updates, go to http://www.AmyAmes.com.