ELLI BENNETT
by D’Anise Marie
“Strength always inspires me..even at our lowest moments we always seem to keep fighting for it!” ~2010
This Thanksgiving article is dedicated to my new dear friend and ‘inspiration’, Ms. Elli Bennett.
Waiting my turn in the shopping line-ups, I know too well just how many men and women (including myself) reach for the magazine with the hottest looking or most intriguing cover models to add to their basket (or read without buying before they reach the check out).
Who are these cover-girls really and what is their story? Do we ever ‘really’ get to know? Elli Bennett has lived that life, been featured on the pages of Inside Sport, in Ralph and FHM; she was also the face in Panasonics digital camera print campaigns. As an actress she has worked in TVCs, music videos and television (including Breakers, seen in more than 30 countries), appeared on Jay Leno and many more.
Smiling at the world becomes almost ‘routine’ for most models and actresses.
Elli’s pressures ran much deeper than just having to keep the perfect form, walk with back straight and have teeth as white as snow in the spotlight. Behind the cameras, behind the pages of the magazines, there was a real human being with real feelings and real life situations to face.
Elli has shared with us, some of her darkest moments. ( See the interview below).
The loss of her fiancé in 2007, brought with it a grief so deep, she had even contemplated her own existence. It’s natural for the mind and body to want to just ‘stop’ when something so tragic numbs us. Elli fought to stay strong and with the instrumental music that her fiancé left behind, she started to write...still joined by the soul during the writing process, she completed each song and healed a little more with every written word.
Releasing her pain into passion couldn’t have been easy. Looking ahead, finding strength to keep going, all of these things led in one direction....forward.
At the time of her musical transition, Elli may have been unaware just how powerful she really was. Each step and decision Elli made, to keep moving on, would become the footprints to someone else’s ‘healing inspiration’. Every time she wrote another word, someone who would hear that would find hope and if even just a little, would be encouraged to ‘keep going’.
Reaching out with her soul, to the world, Elli’s music is now ~free~. Her title track “On My Way”, was written and recorded in a time of Elli’s life that she was feeling much stronger. It wasn’t until Aug. 29th of this year, Elli had to go back in time, back to the pain, to record one of her most engaging hits, “Tragic Fairytale”. Being able to move forward in life from tragedy requires so much strength, but being able to ‘go back’ and relive that pain, is what inspires me most about Elli.
How it must have felt to stand in front of that microphone, with the studio engineers and
recording managers....watching and waiting....to finally hear the ‘real’ story revealed through the music. I am so encouraged by Ms. Elli Bennett, she is now so much more than a model or actress to me, or even just a singer, she is a true inspiration and her magazine covers and TV appearances were merely just our introduction to this beautiful woman, like “here I am world” in the faces of millions. Now we know her on a much more personal level and we couldn’t love her more!
Intelligent, strong, beautiful within, these are the true words that describe Elli Bennett.
Working solidly with MMG Model, Talent and Celebrity Management, (NYC, Toronto and Vancouver), Elli is now in great hands and catching global attention with her powerful new music.
She is recording, arranging, conducting all her own background vocals and even producing.
Elli Bennett is a household name across the globe, some may always see her as the cover-girl on the magazines, some may always remember her as the beautiful guest on Jay Leno, but most after reading the true story of Elli, will now know her as The Artist and the real human being, who didn’t let life’s worse situations shatter her soul and keep her from reaching her ultimate goals.
Elli has risen up above her tragedy and has inspired so many people like myself,
to keep fighting and stay strong no matter how much pain we feel at times.
Every time we grieve, fall apart, or reach despair, we truthfully rebuild upon who we were ‘before’ and that is why we really do ‘only get stronger’ from each of these trials.
Elli Bennett has given us all, so much more to believe in with her story and her music is now the driving force behind a whole new era of musical legends!
Join me as we talk with Elli...
MSMS: The journey through life can be challenging at times, what ways do you find to balance everything and still be able to face the world with a smile?
EB: The journey of life can definitely be challenging at times and I find that surrounding myself with true friends really helps me stay balanced. I see life as a beautiful gift and by being grateful for all my blessings I am able to smile every day. None of us can control life but we have the power to choose how we deal with the circumstances we are presented with.
MSMS: The world sometimes seems to think that just because a person is
beautiful and living in the spotlight, they must have a perfect life. How do
you want the world to see you?
EB: Unfortunately, most people do have the preconceived notion that just because one is beautiful and living in the spotlight that their life must be perfect. That is definitely far from the truth and after suffering my own tragedy of losing my fiancé suddenly and unexpectedly 3 days after we got engaged, I know this for sure. I want the world to know that I am human, just like everyone else, and that I have had to work very hard to find my strength and courage and pick up the pieces and move forward with my life.
I contemplated suicide and took 6 months out of my career to heal and be strong enough to face the world again. My fiancée had written and recorded the music for my album "rEvolution" just before he passed away and during my time of grief and trauma
I wrote the lyrics. It was very cathartic and in turn saved my life. I feel very blessed to have had that gift to channel my deep emotions into my music during my soul's darkest hours.
MSMS: Music and modeling are some of your passions, what are some other
passions you have that are not listed in your bio?
EB: I am also very passionate about acting and dancing but outside of the arts I am very passionate about animals! I just adore them and have a real affinity with them. I really hope one day to be able to work with them and be a voice for them and their rights.
MSMS: Singing songs that reflect on a painful time in our lives can really help get us through to stronger healing. When recording your new songs, did you feel a weight lifted? If so, how did this change you?
EB: "Tragic Fairytale" was written 5 weeks after my fiancé passed away on the way to my twin brother's wedding. Then "On My Way" was written 4 months later after I had decided that my life was worth living and I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. I found that I was writing my album in chapters, like a book, and I was healing each time one was finished. I realized the power of music in that it was transforming my heart and releasing my pain. Now as I am recording and releasing them I have found that the same thing is happening again. "Tragic Fairytale" was released on the 29th of August, 2010 (the 3 year anniversary of losing my fiancé) and it marked the end of my 3 year healing cycle. I now see life through new eyes and don't take anything for granted, I live in the moment and go with the flow and find joy in the simplest of things.
MSMS: Are there any movie projects in the works for Elli Bennett?
EB: As far as movie projects go I feel that because I have written my story from my heart and soul my music would be a great soundtrack for a Hollywood movie. My songs are from my own personal experience but the subject matter is universal and I am finding they resonate with people from all walks of life.
MSMS: Music is always evolving! In what direction do you feel your music is
going?
EB: I feel my music is actually taking people back to the 60s and 70s when there was a message behind the songs. I am very inspired by the likes of John Lennon, Bob Dylan and Neil Young and feel my music is similar in that they have meaning. There are so many pop stars these days singing other people's songs and it's all about their image and lifestyle. We have become a very superficial society and I feel people are craving songs that touch them and they can relate to. Growing up I loved buying a new album and learning the lyrics to all the songs and the story behind them, it was magical to me!
MSMS: If there is one thing you could do for the rest of your life that would truly make you happy, what would it be?
EB: The one thing that would make me truly happy for the rest of my life would be to know that I am making a difference in this world. I plan to set up my own foundation in the near future to help women around the world that are suffering from the sudden death of their spouse. I found that during my time of grief there were no support groups for women of my age and I was inspired then to one day set up my own to help alleviate their pain. Healing other people's hearts is definitely my dream.
MSMS: What advice would you like to give to models who want to make that transition into their music career?
EB: The advice I would give models wanting to make the transition to music would be to finish modeling and concentrate purely on their art. I was in development for 5 years, living and breathing music and honing my craft. It takes passion, dedication and sacrifice to write a great album. I would also advise that they pursue music because they truly love it not because they want to be famous. Being true to yourself and following your heart is where fulfillment comes from.
MSMS: Where do you see the music industry heading?
EB: The music industry has made a huge shift in the last 10 years with the digital age. The days of traditional record deals and record companies developing artists are definitely over but people will always want to listen to music. I think the by having the internet it has made music much more accessible and people are sharing the favourite songs with their friends.
MSMS: Every great Artist leaves an imprint on the walls of music history, what would you like yours to be?
EB: The imprint I would like to leave on the walls of music history is one of inspiration.
Creating my music has been very healing for me and I hope that it has the same effect on others. I want people to know the story behind my songs and help them during their life by knowing that I have lived through my own tragedy and now living a happy life anyway. I hope my music makes people feel all emotions and that they realize I am human, just like them.
© Copyright, 2010 Main Street Magazine/Rain Enterprises
As seen in the October Issue of Main Street Magazine.
Printed in Canada, ISSN: 1920-4299 by Rain Enterprises
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