Michelle Shocked's life has been full of contrast.
Although raised in Gilmer, Texas, by her Mormon mother andstepfather, Shocked often spent her childhood summers with herfather, an atheist.
Although she began college during the "careerist" '80s, whenmany young people picked majors solely to get jobs within thatfield, Shocked chose a degree in oral interpretation ofliterature.
And although Shocked once dressed like a punk rocker and hungout with groups like the Dead Kennedys and Miscreant DetainmentCenter (MDC), she is now a born-again Christian who sings songsinfluenced by gospel.
The singer-songwriter is now touring the country and performsFriday at Newby's, where she'll sings songs with just as muchvariance as her life.
"My parents were (strict) fundamentalists," Shocked said. "I wasno longer welcomed (at home), so I left. I was considered atroublemaker, so I got the hell out."
The double lifestyle her family led and the challenges ofgrowing up in a blended family of 11 on a stretched budget resultedin her leaving home at 16, she said.
"I saw a lot of hypocrisy in the family," Shocked said. "Peoplesaid things but didn't do them. I didn't consider myself a runaway,but a throwaway because my parents knew where I was. They couldhave come and got me."
Shocked lived with family and friends in nearby Dallas for ashort time before pursuing her degree in Austin. She worked 30hours a week while attending the University of Texas at Austin 18hours a week with little or no financial or moral support from herfamily in Gilmer, she said.
After Austin, Shocked moved to California, where her musiccareer began to bud. She often played the fiddle and mandolin instreet bands. On her Web site, the singer is pictured withmid-length hair on a banner wearing a black sleeveless shirt with aflower motif in contrast to her former spiky Mohawk and nose ring,which are also pictured on her Web site.
During the late '80s, Shocked lived a nomadic lifestyle inEurope. She's been to Paris, Madrid and Sicily and other places inbetween.
However, it was in England that her music quickly gainedpopularity.
In 1986, she attended the Texas Kerrville Folk Festival, wheresongwriters gather every year. A partner in an independent Britishrecord label taped some of the songs she sang, and that tape wenton to frequent play on the BBC.
Shocked performed her first show at Queen Elizabeth's Hall inLondon. A year or so later, she had her own manager and was beingpursued by major record labels.
Shocked signed with Mercury and "Short Sharp Shocked" wasreleased in 1988. After the release of her album "Captain Swing" in1989, Shocked became interested in the history and culture ofgospel music.
"My earlier writing was inspired by musical styles, like swing,"Shocked said. "When I turned my life over to God, I started goingto an African-American church in Los Angeles. (Now) everything I dois influenced by gospel music, but I'm not a gospel singer."
All of her experiences in life -- growing up poor, livinghomeless in Europe and exploring different musical styles -- havemade her a stronger person, she said.
"I have good instincts," Shocked said. "I knew if I didn't (pushmyself) when I was young I probably wouldn't be where I am today.Even though it was hard and I had a lot of distractions -- I'm astriver."
