Article by John Pacenti

Samantha Russell organized and headlined the recent Girls Rock Tiki 52 event to benefit the Sari Center for Integrative Cancer Care.

Girls Rock 2024 Tiki 52 Samantha Russell.jpg

You need to be quick to catch Jupiter-based musician Samantha Russell these days. She is fast as lightning, playing with her four-piece band, singing as a member of an acoustic duo, heading up a Women of Country tribute act and organizing charity events.

“I had a gig Sunday with the duo, I had a gig at a private community on Wednesday. I did a Women in Country rehearsal last night. I have the gig tonight and I have the benefit tomorrow and I play across the street Sunday,” she explains after a show at Boynton Beach’s Banana Boat. “A basic week for me.”

All of it is wrapped up in her SRB Entertainment, which produced the second annual Girls Rock Tiki 52 at the Tequesta waterfront restaurant on Oct. 5, a benefit for the Sari Center for Integrative Cancer Care.

Samantha and her bandmates exemplify some of the hardest workers in South Florida: the local musician. Their acts populate bars, restaurant patios, weddings, and corporate events, turning beloved songs into their own by sheer talent.

Russell, for instance, takes the pop sheen of Britney Spears’ well-traveled “...Baby One More Time” and turns it into a rousing rocker. She then pivots easily to Steve Ray Vaughan’s bluesy “Pride and Joy” and then onto country star Chris Stapleton’s “White Horse.”

The crowd at Banana Boat ate it up.

Russell says she threads the needle between rock and country. Her voice is rooted in the legendary Muscle Shoals sound, in a way that recalls Bob Seger or Bonnie Raitt.

For the Girls Rock Tiki 52 event, Russell rounded up talent, including Nashville singer-songwriter Sonia Leigh, to perform.

2nd Annual Girls Rock Tiki 52 for Sari Center Wrap Video

“The cause is really important to me because I’ve got family members who have battled cancer. So it’s important to be in Florida giving back to the community,” Leigh said.

This is the second charity concert for the Sari Center – the brainchild of Russell, Sari Director Corinne Faza, and Amy Labell, a friend of the singer who was diagnosed with breast cancer last year.

“It’s a huge resource. When somebody gets diagnosed, you feel helpless and there’s nothing you can do,” Labell said.
Lori Mcginely, Corinne Lemal Faza, Marcy Isander volunteering at the event.

Labell said the center treats the body, mind, and spirit to guide a patient’s recovery. It’s supplemental to the care the patient receives from his or her oncologist.

“It’s a huge resource. When somebody gets diagnosed, you feel helpless and there’s nothing you can do,” Labell said. Lymphatic massage, acupuncture yoga, and counseling – for the patient and the family – are among the services offered.

There were several Sari clients at the Tiki 52 festival, hobnobbing with the talent and shopping the kiosks, and – of course – eating .

Faza said she hoped the event would bring in the same amount – $13,000 – as last year. “The money matters a lot to us,”

Faza said. “We’re a small, lean staff and the money helps pay for people who can’t pay.”

Girls Rock Lineup

**Sierra Lane**
**Shindig Duo**
**Bombshell Duo**
**Sonia Leigh**
**Samantha Russell Band**

Russell’s tight four-piece headlined the Tiki 52 event. The singer has developed a loyal fanbase that follows her from show to show. Her gigs are often at venues on the water giving it a very Florida feel.

And Russell is a made-in-Florida gal. Born in Broward County, she moved with her family to Palm Beach County before settling in Jupiter. “I spent half my life in Jupiter. I’m a Jupiter girl,” she said. “This morning, I just went running on the beach. I love being by the water, and I just love the whole coastal and beach vibe that Jupiter has to offer and all the great local venues we have here.”

Russell started singing at the age of 5 years old, belting out “Tomorrow” from the Broadway play “Annie” at a school talent show. “I just always loved to sing and I always loved the reaction that I got, making people happy, and I’ve been doing it ever since,” she said.

Russell tried to make a go of it on the national stage and even left music for a handful of years. “I was a little frustrated, as you can imagine,” she said. An original 2013 Russell song, “And Then Some,” can be heard on streaming platforms.

For the last six years, Russell has been able to make music her sole profession. “I don’t even like to call it a job because it’s so much fun,” she said. And it’s all types of music, whether it’s her country-rock four-piece, or her folksy duo or the Women of Country tribute where she plays songs from her heroes, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Dolly Parton and Carrie Underwood.