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QC10162014

68 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • OCTOBER 16, 2014 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com buzz Queens residents Kenya Morris (center right) and Tina Jensen Photo by Julianna Rusakiewicz (far right) are members of the pop singing group The Glamazons. Queens ‘Glamazons’ release new single BY CRISTABELLE TUMOLA the theater,” she said. “I never thought I could be a pop ctumola@queenscourier.com/@CristabelleT star because I wasn’t a size zero.” Jensen would also sing pop songs at competitions in Two Queens women are trying to sing their way to the New York City clubs. Around two years ago, it was at top, proving that pop stardom comes in all sizes. one of those clubs that she heard about a competition Astoria resident Tina Jensen and Kenya Morris, of St. to be in The Glamazons. After six weeks of vying for a Albans, are members of The Glamazons, a group of four spot, she made it into the group. sexy and voluptuous songstresses. Morris, 20, was in the same competition as Jensen, Formed in 2001, The Glamazons started performing though she didn’t win. in New York City clubs, but found national fame in the The New Jersey native discovered The Glamazons second season of “America’s Got Talent” in 2007, when through Twitter, where she connected with Meryl they made it to the top eight. Sherwood, the group’s founder. Sherwood, who still works Now, the original members are no longer performing with The Glamazons, saw a YouTube video of Morris singing with the group. Current members Jensen, Morris, Emma and encouraged her to enter the competition. Craig and Megan Allen have been together for about Later, Morris fi lled in during a Glamazons show and one and a half years and released their fi rst original was then added as a permanent member in May 2013. single “Movie Star” on Oct. 14. The timing was perfect, Morris said, since she had recently “It’s a feel-good celebratory song,” Jensen said. moved to Queens to be closer to her grandfather. The 29-year-old always knew she wanted to be a “This is what every boy and every girl dreams of,” she performer growing up, but imagined herself in musical said about their single coming out. theater rather than singing pop songs. Singing was the easy part for Morris, who has been At 18, she left Minnesota for New York City, where she showing off her vocal talent since she was a young studied at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy child. But she never had any formal dance training and moved to western Queens seven years ago. before The Glamazons. Though professionally she pursued musical theater in “I was slow picking up the pace of everything but now New York, starring off-Broadway, at home she would I’m on the ball,” she said. always sing pop songs. Jensen grew up taking dance lessons. Her biggest hurdle “Growing up it was theater because I felt accepted in was showcasing her body through The Glamazon’s BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL ONSITE DOCTORS • EYE EXAMS • CONTACTS • 1 HOUR SERVICE • VISION PLANS ACCEPTED • SUNGLASSES • LOWEST PRICES FLEX SPENDING Use it or lose it! 2 PAIR OF EYEGLASSES QC QC QC $99 Includes: EYE EXAM, Frames & Lenses Select frames with clear plastic, single vision lenses+/- 4 sph., 2 cyl. Not valid with any other offers, sales, vision plans or packages. Must present prior to purchase. Offer valid at this location only. Offer ends: 11/11/14 NO-LINE BIFOCAL EYEGLASSES $99 Includes: EYE EXAM, No-Line Bifocal Lenses & Frame Select frame with select clear plastic no-line bifocal lenses +/- 4 sph., 2 cyl up to 2.50 add. Not valid with any other offers, sales, vision plans or packages. Must present prior to purchase. Offer valid at this location only. 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Growing up, Morris would look at popular singers and think, “Can I really do this because I don’t see as much of me in the limelight?” “I want the audience to feel inspired,” said Morris, who works as a plus-size model. “I want them to know that you can be any shape or size.” But their message goes beyond body issues. “It’s not just about your size. It’s about anyone who has been told no before,” Jensen said. The Glamazons’ new single “Movie Star” is currently available on iTunes. The group also expects to release a music video for the song on Nov. 1. It will be available on their website, on YouTube and potentially as a free release on iTunes. Next, they have plans for an EP. Jensen, who, in addition to her theater work, is also a plus-size model, hopes The Glamazons can be her fulltime gig one day. “We may be broke and have to live in the street in Queens,” she said. “But we are going to keep performing with the group and spreading our message until we can no longer do it.”


QC10162014
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