We Are Upstate NY With Gail Ann Dorsey, A Singular Musical Force

Gail Ann Dorsey has built her life in devotion to music and its potential for transcendence. Over the course of her extraordinary career, the Philadelphia-born singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist has emerged as one of the most renowned bass guitarists in recent history, widely celebrated for her collaborations with many of the brightest luminaries in rock + pop. Along with playing bass and singing in David Bowie’s touring band and appearing on several of his albums over two decades, she’s worked with a highly eclectic mix of superstars and culture-shaping innovators. These include Seal, Lenny Kravitz, Gwen Stefani, Bryan Ferry, Gang Of Four, Indigo Girls, Jane Siberry, Olivia Newton-John, and The National, to name just a few. 

Dorsey found her way to the Hudson Valley after an 11-year stint living in London, where she gained her first big-time professional foothold as a singer in the big band of Rolling Stones’ drummer Charlie Watts. A city girl at heart, she has been living in Kingston for nearly three decades and collaborating with many of the all-star musicians who also call the Hudson Valley home.

In 2026, Dorsey will release her first solo album in 21 years. Her forthcoming collection will mark the long-awaited culmination of a lifetime of musical voyaging—ultimately revealing the full power of her profoundly unique and visionary artistry. She will complement this with a series of solo performances and a role in Thomas Dolby’s unique salute to ’80s music, the Iconic Recollections Tour, which will hit The Assembly in Kingston on April 16.

Read on to hear more about this visionary artist who every superstar wants to have in their band.

INSIDE+OUT: When did you first become interested in music, and who were your early inspirations?

Gail Ann Dorsey: I was born with an interest in music. It was at the forefront of consciousness from age three, and I started singing by the time I was five. I was the youngest of five children, the so-called “surprise baby,” and I was influenced by what my older siblings listened to. Some of my favorite music still is what was on the radio then—Carly Simon, Motown, The Carpenters, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Olivia Newton-John. 

When I was nine, I got my first acoustic guitar, and by twelve, I had a Japanese electric. I wanted to be a guitar god, inspired by white rockers like Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad, Terry Kath of Chicago, and funky ones like Cold Blood and Rare Earth, and, of course, Jimi Hendrix. When I was 14, I needed a summer job and checked out the musicians’ wanted ads posted at a music store. I noticed they mostly said, “band seeks bass player.” So, I called and got an audition to play bass for a good working band in Philly. I asked my mother if she would buy me a one if I passed. I did, and she did, and that started everything for me—playing bass in a band with older guys who would sneak little “underage me” into bars to perform! Maybe foreshadowing my future, I played and sang Bowie’s “Suffragette City“ in that band. In short order, I even led my own band playing the funk and rock hits of the day.

Interestingly, it was film, not music, that was your initial professional goal. Tell us about that and your time at CalArts.

Gail Ann Dorsey: Like most kids raised in the ’70s, I loved TV. I loved watching shows like Charlie’s Angels and especially The Bionic Woman, because I had a huge crush on its star, Lindsay Wagner (laughs). Film became another interest that music kind of fit into, with scores for films like The Graduate. I was also outspoken about politics, so films like The China Syndrome and Network, which is still my all-time favorite, appealed to me. For me, movies were an escape, and music was just something I did. In school, I was terrible at math, but I loved English and writing, and won many creative writing awards. I thought I might like to make movies, to really focus on writing them. So, I bought screenplay books and copies of classic film scripts from a shop in Hollywood. From ages 15 – 17, I was all about writing scripts. I even wrote a spec script for Charlie’s Angels with a rock ‘n roll theme.

Now, how I got to CalArts is pretty funny. At a college fair at my high school, I saw a pamphlet for one of the universities and was struck by the picture on the cover. It was the OSI Building from The Bionic Woman! The recruiter mentioned that the show and many others were filmed there, on the campus of the California Institute of the Arts. I thought, “Maybe this is Lindsay Wagner sending me a sign (laughs).“ So, I applied, sending in some of my scripts and 8mm films, and got a full scholarship that included room and board, so I decided to go there. 

Sadly, the environment was a little testosterone-heavy, lots of ambitious young guys with a lot of ego, everyone wanting to be the next Francis Ford Coppola. I was the only woman in my class and wasn’t being selected for their projects. However, it was an amazing experience because of the friendships and creative connections I made with so many people there, many of whom are still in my life, including a musician friend whom I followed to England, which started my career. After a year and a half, I decided to move to New York and really try my hand at music.

Although you have done a lot of work as a solo artist, you say your career has largely focused on touring to support other artists, most notably David Bowie. Tell us a little about these experiences and what makes you a great collaborator.

Gail Ann Dorsey: I think it’s about being aware of what you’re doing musically, being fully engaged with the music every moment. Music is like speaking to each other in a language other than words – you create something that didn’t exist until you all came in and started doing your part. What has been beneficial in my career is that I have a certain humility, since I never studied music and cannot read it. It comes from my own ears and heart. I don’t know how that happens, because I know not everyone can do that. I believe there’s something greater than myself that has given me this gift. 

As for my touring and supporting artist CV, it’s long and still ongoing. It began during the 11 years I lived in London. My first break came from singing in the big band of Rolling Stones’ drummer Charlie Watts at a series of concerts funded by the London Jazz Center. While in England, I toured or recorded with everyone from the Gang of Four and Tears for Fears to Boy George and Donny Osmond. I also played with some great bands that didn’t become household names, including the wonderful funk band Well Read and Thrashing Doves, which was my first touring experience. I did two big tours with Gwen Stefani in 2005 and 2007, a tour with Seal right before Gwen, subbed for my best friend Sara Lee with the B-52’s, and did ten years with Lenny Kravitz. One opportunity I did pass up was joining Prince’s all-girl backing band, 3RDEYEGIRL, in 2014. It wasn’t personal; it was just that he wanted me to play guitar, and I was a little unconfident in my ability on the instrument after so many years on the bass.

Your time with David Bowie is a high-water mark of your career. How did that come about?

Gail Ann Dorsey: I got the call in March 1995 to begin rehearsal in the fall for the tour supporting his album, Outside. I was all extremely amazing and pivotal to my career and whole existence. I recorded a bit on the albums Earthling, Heather, Reality, and The Next Day. I did all of his tours from 1995 until he passed away in 2016 – four major world tours, small promotional ones, and one-offs. One of the highlights was signing the Freddie Mercury part on “Under Pressure“ with David. I’m glad you can find what I consider the best version of our television concert in Dublin on YouTube.

Was the fact that you and Bowie lived in the Hudson Valley a factor?

Gail Ann Dorsey: Not at first because he only came up here in 2002, well after I arrived. His producer, Tony Viscounti, dragged him up here to record at Allaire Studio in Shokan, which is in an especially exquisite setting with 360-degree views of the valley. Before that, he would tease me, saying, “Gail, what are you doing up there with all those old pot-smoking hippies?“  I would say, “David, but I’m one of them (laughs).“  But after recording here, he fell in love with the area and decided to buy a home. So, it ended up with me saying to him, “Who’s the old hippie now?”

Did he have a big impact on your solo music?

Gail Ann Dorsey: Strangely not really. We had entirely different tastes in music. He would say to me, “How can you listen to Barbra Streisand and Olivia Newton-John and then do what you do?“  He could never get into easy listening, something that I love, like The Carpenters and Fleetwood Mac. He would just shake his head, baffled. Artists like these and Bread, that’s my favorite music. When I want to get into my comfort zone, I put on the 5th Dimension, Helen Reddy, Paul Williams, America… I love this music, and that’s what my music is like. It makes me happy. My upcoming album may be the last one I ever do, and I’m determined to do something that really makes me happy. Years ago, I called my music “Blackarach,“ Burt Bacharach as filtered through my experience. 

Let’s talk about your experiences with Olivia Newton-John.

Gail Ann Dorsey: It was my favorite onstage experience with an artist. Performing with and getting to know Olivia was really a childhood dream come true. Being a somewhat unschooled musician, I always appreciated the craft of these records, the incredible arrangements, and the incredible players who made them. I never believed I would reach that level to play this music as well as the folks on the records. In 2004, I wanted to see her live and saw her with the Baltimore Symphony. I did something I’ve only done twice in my life – I contacted my manager to arrange a meet-and-greet with her. They arranged that in the afternoon before the show. Before I got to meet her, I met her guitarist/band leader, Andy Timmons, and bassist Lee Hendricks, who wanted to meet me because I was “Bowie’s bass player.“ 

Years later, I get a message from Andy on MySpace, asking me to give him a ring. When I called, he asked if I would take Lee’s place on the tour with Olivia. It was like a message from God, one of the biggest days of my life. I literally started screaming when I got off the phone. I did three brief tours with her in South America, Japan, and Australia. We visited her home in Australia, where I got to wash my clothes, and also visited her spa. She was a brilliant, kind, human being. And interestingly, she still sang all her songs in their original keys. It made it easy for me to learn them by ear, which is my method. It’s also something you rarely see in older artists.

You’ve just released your first single in 21 years, “(It Takes All Kinds) To Make A World.”  Is this another nod to the era you most love in music, the ’70s? And will that be the spirit of your forthcoming album?

Gail Ann Dorsey:  I was really trying to get that Carole King vibe, like “Sweet Seasons“ or “Believe in Humanity“ from Fantasy, which is another of my favorite albums. Lyrically, it’s about bringing positivity and possibility to these turbulent times we live in. It’s a preview of what’s to come with my new album later this year.

The new album, The Appearance of Life, will be a conceptual sequel to my 1988 debut, The Corporate World. I’ve always believed that the world is run by corporations, and that’s never been more apparent than now. Musically, it’s a departure from the art-pop soul of my debut, leaning towards the 1970s AM/FM radio parade I was raised on. Naturally, I tapped our extraordinary local talent pool to help put it together, legendary drummer Jerry Marotta (Peter Gabriel) and guitarist David Spinozza (Paul McCartney). I think this record, my fourth album in total, will be the truest statement about what most moves me musically, philosophically, and politically.

When did you move to the Hudson Valley?

Gail Ann Dorsey: After a brief time in New York, I went to London in 1983, then came here to the Hudson Valley in 1994. I had been on tour with Tears for Fears prior to that, so I spent a little time going back and forth to London to continue work with the band’s guitarist/songwriter, Roland Orzabal. Roland is a true genius, and touring with him brought me to another level. As a matter of fact, it was at Roland’s house that I got the call to join David Bowie’s band.  

When I settled in the Hudson Valley, I lived in Glenford, sharing a house with another bassist I had met in London, Sara Lee. She’s British and was living here the whole time I was in London. I came back to the States because there was more happening here musically than in London, but I didn’t want to live in New York City again. Sarah invited me to visit, and I fell in love with the place and the community of musicians living here around Woodstock. Through Sara, I met Tony Levin, the Psychedelic Furs’ John Ashton, the B-52’s, and more. I lived with Sara for a year and a half, then moved to Kingston, where I still live. I rented an apartment in the building on Wall Street that is now the Kinsley Hotel for 22 years. And I’m still here in another place I love. 

What are some of your favorite non-musical activities in the Hudson Valley?

Gail Ann Dorsey: I’m not really an outdoors person; I’m a city person, and Kingston has a lot of what I love to do. I like to go for long walks around town and visit places like Kingston Bread + Bar and Rough Draft Bar & Books. If the weather is good, I might go for a walk around the Ashokan Reservoir. And since I love movies, I enjoy going to Upstate Films here in Kingston and to their Orpheum Theater in Saugerties. The latter has some great music documentaries.

What does the Hudson Valley need that it doesn’t have at the moment?

Gail Ann Dorsey: Nothing really, I am always surprised at what the Hudson Valley does have. Each little town has its own unique flavor and community centers, like People’s Place in Kingston. We also have great radio stations and again, cinemas like Upstate Films. There are also wonderful new venues like The Assembly in Kingston and events like the annual O+ Festival.

I see you’re revisiting the ’80s at a part of Thomas Dolby’s Iconic Recollections Tour. What’s the concept, and what else do you have forthcoming in terms of live performances?

Gail Ann Dorsey: I did a run of shows with Thomas this past October, and we’re doing it again. Basically, he’s created this thing called “The Iconic ’80s,“ which is a retrospective not only of his own career but also of many of the decade’s most iconic songs, from Talking Heads and Grace Jones to U2 and Ultravox. He’s taken pieces of these songs and created a symphony around them, in several movements. Ultimately, he wants to do this with a symphony orchestra, but now we’re doing it with computers and a small live band. We’re bringing it to nine cities, but I’m really looking forward to performing it at The Assembly in Kingston on April 16.

Through June, I will be doing a series of solo shows at venues such as Boston’s Club Passim, Joe’s Pub in New York City, and World Stage in Philadelphia. All the details are on my website. 

Desert Island discs. If you could only take a few, what would they be?

Gail Ann Dorsey:  The first is Joni Mitchell’s The Hissing of Summer Lawns. It is a perfect record that I could listen to again and again until the end of time. My favorite all-time band is Queen, and there’s nothing better than A Day at the Races. Nothing gets my energy up like early Chaka Khan and Rufus. Their 1974 album Refusized is their ultimate collection. As for songs, there’s nothing I love more than “Sam“ from Olivia Newton-John’s 1976 album, Don’t Stop Believin’.

Photos courtesy of Gail Ann Dorsey

Tour Dates

Join Gail Ann Dorsey + other music legends at Music Master’s Collective’s “Magical Mystery” Camp on June 16 – 19 at the Full Moon Resort in Big Indian NY—an immersive experience featuring performances, interactive workshops, teaching clinics and songwriting explorations. More Tour Dates Here.

Follow/Connect with Gail Ann Dorsey via Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | Spotify

Contributing writer Sal Cataldi is a musician, writer and former publicist living in Hudson Valley NY.

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