Internationally acclaimed Jazz vocalist Erin McDougald has been entertaining audiences since the age of three. A gifted ballet dancer with a several-octave singing voice, Erin has always had a natural grace on stage and flare for the theater. The Ohio native moved to Chicago after a year of studying musical theater and modern dance at The University of Cincinnati to pursue an education in performance at Columbia College Chicago.   Once in the Windy City, she was quickly bitten by the jazz bug; active on the musical theater scene and working in the cabaret circuit while still a student at Columbia College, she became the devoted protege of the revered William Russo (director of the famous Chicago Jazz Ensemble). Since graduating Columbia College, Erin has released three albums and performed all over the world in clubs and concert halls receiving wide recognition for her dynamic range, rhythmic phrasing and warm, voluptuous tone.

Headlining Chicago's most prestigious venues (The Jazz Showcase, The Pump Room, Intercontinental, Metropole Room, Green Dolphin Street and others), McDougald has graced the cover of magazines and climbed the Indy Music Charts with her last two releases. In their "Best of" editions, Chicago Social magazine chose McDougald as the Best Female Jazz singer three years in a row and The Sun Times hailed her a rising star. Her latest album, Meeting Place was co-produced by Grammy winner Stephen Short and won the respectful nods of major jazz critics and musicians everywhere. In 2004, McDougald was chosen to be an Ambassador of Jazz by The China Jazz Project and she currently acts as a music advisor at Columbia College. She has performed at The Grammy's Salute to jazz and received praise from Oscar Peterson for her "beautiful singing". McDougald has donated her time and talents to HOSPICE in memory of her late grandfather, whom she credits for her love of jazz.