As president and creator of Vamplified, Karen is constantly writing and producing new music and merchandise to add to the Vamplified experience. With the newly added BOA album, a compilation of her favorite completed songs, she added the registered trademark band name Vamplified, a signature of completed work. Karen is a musician, special appearance artist, writer, and much more, with a wide range of accomplishments.
Hard rock recording artist and producer, Karen St Claire put together an extraordinary line up of top notch musicians. She toiled away day and night in recording sessions, editing rooms, mixing and directing the sound recording, as she put together the CD "BOA."
She asked legendary superchops rock bassist Billy Sheehan to apply his magic touch to all 12 songs. She contracted special guest star Marco Mendoza (Ted Nugent, Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake) to collaborate and co-produce. She assigned double platinum album artist, Marq Torien (Bullet Boys and RATT), to wail on background vocals. Lead guitarist, Toshi Yanaghi (Taylor Dayne), makes a smokin' signature appearance on this project, as well as several other creatively gifted talents.
The album's first single, "Tattooed In Skin," hit national commercial rock radio with active rock stations across the US playing the music, and several other stations airing the album on specialty shows, thanks to Howard Rosen Promotions.
The song also soared to the #1 spot in an Oakland station thanks to Scary Gary, music director, at KOOX the X Real Rock Radio, and it also made the LA Music Scene compilation.
Karen's "Crucified" won Best Music Video from the Akademia Awards in July 2015. "Crucified" is also a hit #1 single at KXRL radio in Los Angeles, winning an award for that as well in December 2015. Most recently, her cover of Prince's "The Beautiful Ones" won Best Music Video Cover/Pop for May 2016 from The Akademia Awards.
For 7 years Karen worked as Vice President of Artist/Fan relations with multi gold & platinum artist, Craig Chaquico. Currently working as a well versed solo artist, his earlier work included being the lead guitarist of Jefferson Starship and Starship.
Karen held a position as Temporary Personal Manager for Carlos Hernandez of Santana for Winter NAMM 1999 and helped land his endorsement deal with Horizon. The next day she was called back to cover for Craig Chaquico after his manager took a minor leave of absence.
She worked with "The Joey Richards Project" (a former David Bowie bassist) in Daytona Beach and New York City. Then in 2009 she recorded "Nocturnal Flight" with yet another Bowie bassist Tony Sales, and drummer Rene Castro (Steppenwolf, Bob Dylan and Anna Kendrick's video "Cups" where he was the cook).
For 3 consecutive years Karen held a position as keyboardist for "Alice's Nightmare" (a theatrical Alice Cooper tribute band) and toured the Southeast club circuit. Then in the summer of 2013 she appeared on stage in Alice Cooper's "Raise the Dead" tour at State Theater in Minneapolis with Alice Cooper himself.
Karen completed a Voice & Performance Scholarship granted through "Vocal Power Institute".
She has eight guest appearances on Vantage Records "LA Music Scene."
Her lyrical composition on the songs "Crying Out" and "Kingdom of Paradise" both appear on "Casa Mendoza" a solo album by Thin Lizzy bassist Marco Mendoza. This album is distributed both nationally and internationally on both Mascot and Megaforce Records.
Karen has recorded with platinum artist Jimbo Mathus (Buddy Guy) in Clarksdale, Mississippi.
She writes and produces audio advertising jingles for major corporate accounts.
For 6 years, Karen held a position as Keyboard Specialist & NAMM Buyer for YRS Midi Systems. Karen endorses Kawai, Carvin, and YRS Midi Systems. She received a 2017 Certificate of Appreciation for serving the Recording Academy for fifteen years of membership. Also a member of both ASCAP and BMI. she has publishing companies through both affiliates.
She donated her song "Dos Estrelles" to the Missing Children's Foundation, where it now appears on a documentary film.
In 2018 she completed a bare bones record created solely on keyboards. She titled the album "Skeleton Keys", explaining that it was a very simple production of a one woman show doing nothing more than "rattling the keys".
Currently, Karen is recording a Goth Rock record in her home studio on her Kawai baby grand concert performer piano.
Karen's video "Crucified," as Vamplified, also headlined the spotlight on DarkestGoth Magazine's June 11, 2018 cover.
Karen worked with master metaphysician Criss Angel on his debut series, "Mindfreak." Until now she never really had the opportunity to go into specific details regarding some of the actual supernatural phenomenon she experienced while working with Criss. She thought "The Criss Angel Experience" was phenomenal!
Karen has been involved in several other television and film projects.
Karen was on location at Ozzy Osbourne's Beverly Hills mansion for a video shoot for MTV's "The Osbournes" She appeared on the trailer (television preview) for the show.
Under the direction of John Landis (director of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and "National Lampoon's Animal House," to name a few) Karen was called in to add her artwork to his film "Slasher."
Karen's artwork has also appeared on both Dick Clark's " Beyond Belief" and HBO's "Six Feet Under." At "The Trial of Robert Shapiro," Karen played the part of the nostalgic cigar/cigarette girl, and was seated at the attorney's dinner table.
https://www.pinterest.com/vamplified/jim-morrisons-hollywood-home-make-over/
Karen is working with Cheri Woods, owner and curator of Jim Morrison's estate and historical monument, and the Board of Historical Registry in turning Jim's last known US residence into a National Historical Monument. Karen has donated items from Jim Morrison's estate, such as an antique crystal doorknob, to the Grammy Museum. (The door was locked while Ms. Woods was giving tours, and someone stole the front part. The doorknob on the inside of the locked door is the one that is now in the museum.)
Karen has also written and completed several complete volumes of Soul Kitchen's Born On The Bayou, an interactive celebrity cookbook featuring many unique and interesting recipes, with proceeds benefiting MusiCares, and under the direction of Cool Breeze Concerts, Karen completed a drink menu book for Ozzfest.
In 2016, Karen worked on securing music artists' and producers' royalty rights for Grammys In My District under the direction of multi-platinum record producer Mike Clink at Congressman Brad Sherman's office.
In the recent past, Karen was responsible for coordinating and curating Billy Sheehan's memorabilia display at the Hard Rock Cafe in Universal Citiwalk.
She is also in the top three percent of most read Los Angeles writers on the travel website TripAdvisor.
On October 31, 2018, it was announced that Karen was elected DarkestGoth Girl 2019 and DarkestGoth Magazine's Spokesmodel Of The Year.
Then in 2020, she became the first DarkestGoth Girl to hold that title for a two year term. Additionally, under the direction and request of DarkestGoth Magazine's president, Jeremy Hanke, she hosted her own "Scary Movie Night" show as Goth Goddess, "Neckromance".
As a still model, she was once a live mannequin for "The Body Shop" at the Volusia Mall fashion show.
