Elaine Garrett

Elaine Garrett is currently the Administrative Assistant in the Music Department of the South Carolina Governor’s School of Arts and Humanities. Born in Greenville, South Carolina, she began singing at age 3, graduated from Sterling High School, and received a BA degree in psychology at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina. After graduation, she worked as an in-house counselor at an institution for emotionally challenged youth in Mecklenburg County, and performed with local groups on alternate weekends. Her passion for singing led Elaine to Atlanta, Georgia where she started a career traveling and performing with several popular recording artists such as Clarence Carter, Candi Staton and B.B. King, to name a few. She has traveled the intercontinental USA and abroad in concerts, the most memorable performances in Germany and Israel. Over a 25 year period in Atlanta, she has gained experience working as a jazz vocalist, an assistant site manager in public housing, and also as an assistant choir director in her church. Since returning to Greenville, Elaine has performed with jazz musicians in the Jazz on the Main Series, Artisphere, the Handlebar, and special events in upstate establishments. She has also performed with the Carolina Pops Orchestra at Thornblade. Although she has blues, country and reggae songs in previous repertoires, as a song stylist, her current focus is gospel and jazz.