Laura Pursell is a singer, actress, and writer born in Nashville childhood but has spent half her life in Los Angeles. Her award-winning autobiographical one woman show, "The Pope of Jocelyn Hollow” won the 2017 TAG Studio Solo Festival and had two runs at the Beverly Hills Playhouse and The Actors Group Studio in Burbank. Her comedic chops are featured in the “Baton Rouge” episode of “AJ and the Queen” starring RuPaul and produced by Michael Patrick King on Netflix. Also check out her starring role in the dark comedy “You Slay Me”, an 8-episode web series which premiered in December 2019.
Laura was born in a household filled with music. Her father is Bill Pursell, legendary pianist, composer, and Music Row sideman to Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Chet Atkins, Marty Robbins and more. It wasn’t until Laura moved to LA in the 90’s that she began singing, and soon afterwards, Laura and her dad collaborated for years on recordings and in live performances in LA, Nashville and in St. Petersburg, Russia.
As a singer, Laura has recorded 5 full-length CD albums (3 with her father) and has performed live with the crème de la crème of jazz musicians in southern CA venues Catalina Bar and Grill, Vitello’s, The Grove at the Farmers' Market", The Money Tree, Barone’s, Viva Cantina, Rava Winery, Vicky’s of Sante Fe, and more.
Laura was in pre-production on a 6th studio album with her dad when he contracted Covid in August 2020. He tragically passed away three weeks later. Laura relocated to Nashville where she is currently living, and she is set to return to the studio in January 2021 to finish their final album, “Lilacs”.
Another full length CD is currently in the works; a rock/country project she started working on pre-pandemic with drummer and producer Chris Ross. That collection of songs is currently in post-production and will be released by the end of this year.
Laura is also a competitive figure skater, Nashville skating coach, and I’m now a proud member of the Scott Hamilton Skating Club.