 On 1981's IS THIS A COOL WORLD OR WHAT?--her only solo studio album--singer/actress Karla DeVito comes across as Linda Ronstadt channeling Kate Bush. Renowned for her stint as a back-up singer for Meat Loaf, DeVito definitely knows how to inject her songs with drama, as evidenced on the pensive "Heaven Can Wait." |
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Play Cool World Play Almost Saturday Night Play Samples of the entire album Songs on this album are: 1. Cool World 2. I Can't Stand To Reminisce 3. Heaven Can Wait 4. Midnight Confessions 5. Big Idea 6. Almost Saturday Night 7. Boy Talk 8. Just One Smile 9. I'm Just Using You 10. Work 11. Bloody Bess 12. Just Like You 13. Interview With Karla Devito Hosted By Robby Benson  |
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| DeVito moved to Mokena, Illinois as a child after her father's death. She and her three brothers were raised by a very musical mother, Vivian, who was always singing at home.
Karla attended Willow Crest Grade School in Mokena, where she was a cheerleader. Karla attended Lincoln-Way High School in New Lenox, Illinois. In her senior year, although she was not cast in the lead, Karla stole the show in high school's production of "Brigadoon." She also was cast as one of the goofy sisters in the school's production of "The Odd Couple." Her senior year, she was runner-up to the Homecoming Queen--her legitimate coronation foiled by administration who thought she was too "radical" for conservative Lincoln-Way. At Loyola University - Chicago, she majored in theater. During her freshman year she joined the Chicago cast of Godspell. In 1971-72 Karla studied with Jo Forsberg at Second City Company in Chicago and was part of the Children's Theatre group, with Bill Murray and many other improviational actors. In 1973, she was in the cast of the popular play Hair. She subsequently became a backup singer for Meat Loaf, supporting the Bat out of Hell tour (and also performed lip sync to Ellen Foley's vocals in the supporting music videos), and later contributed as background singer for such groups as the Blue Öyster Cult and the Sorrows. Later she became a lead solo performer/ singer in her own right, and opened for such prominent artists as Hall & Oates and Rick Springfield. In 1981, Devito released her debut solo album, Is This a Cool World or What? In addition to original material, the album contained title tracks of three well-known songs: Meat Loaf's Heaven Can Wait, The Grass Roots' Midnight Confession, and Creedence Clearwater Revival's Almost Saturday Night. Also in 1981, she replaced Linda Ronstadt in The Pirates of Penzance. Robby Benson was cast to play her love interest. They eventually married in 1982 and have two children. One of Robby and Karla's songs, "We Are Not Alone", was featured in the motion picture The Breakfast Club (1985). In 1990, she and Benson co-starred in the film Modern Love (1990). In 2002 she sang the part of Elizabeth for the CD recording of Graham Russell's rock opera The Heart of the Rose. |