Meet Marilyn

Meet Marilyn: photo gallery | timeline of her musical career | “marilyn’s favorite charities”:

Biography

The soul-stirring voice. The megawatt smile. The affable personality. Marilyn Sellars is an award-winning entertainer whose talent, engaging presence and quick wit has charmed audiences ever since she belted out “Oh What a Beautiful Morning” in the middle of a Sunday sermon at age three.

From country to pop and Broadway to gospel, Marilyn performs it all with captivating style. She displays a special gift for bringing a sense of hope and comfort to audiences the world over—nearly 40 countries to be exact—whether on the Grand Ole Opry, the Orient Express, the stages of Disney World, the theatres of Branson or the cruise ships of China’s Yangtze River.

A natural-born performer, Marilyn grew up in a small Minnesota farming community where she honed her craft by singing gospel songs with her family and performing popular and country music with local bands, while studying classical voice with a famed St. Olaf College music teacher. She became a Minnesota celebrity after a decade of accompanying herself in Twin Cities piano lounges. As country music became more popular on television during that time, a group of fans who loved the way Marilyn sang country sent her to Nashville to record.

Marilyn walked the fabled avenues of Nashville’s Music Rowand was soon signed by a major label. Her first album charted nationally for 43 weeks, overtaking an Elvis Presley album and earning her numerous honors for being the first to record the classic “One Day at a Time.” ASCAP and “Best New Female Artist” awards, an Academy of Country Music nomination, and stints on national television shows put her on the road as a country music star.

Musical versatility makes Marilyn a sought after performer in a diverse array of settings: corporate shows, charitable events, celebrity golf tournaments, county and state fairs, telethons, political conventions, sporting events, dinner theatres, churches and senior centers. Time for her family always comes first, but along with her love of reading, cooking and golf, she continues to perform and record with her distinctive blend of effervescence and grace.

And there is still that soul-stirring voice.