
In what reads like a story line from a Paul Thomas Anderson movie, Blair was raised in the San Fernando Valley by her single, dental hygienist mother and broke into showbiz at five playing a “giant girl” in the Sci-fi romp Land of the Giants. She was given the stage name Blair Aames by her childhood agent and wore curlers to school on audition days. Thankfully, Blair ditched the curlers and changed her name back to Tefkin, studied drama at The American Conservatory Theatre, and jumped into comedy as a member of L.A.’s Groundlings.
Her breakout role was in the iconic mini-series “V,” playing Robin, the teen mom of the alien's half lizard baby. And though she played the Pat Benatar wannabe in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Blair didn’t discover her own true voice until she picked up the bass and started writing her signature wry, bittersweet songs.
Blair continued acting (Greenberg, Dream Lover, Three For The Road, Get A Life), but a chance meeting with a music exec at a Hollywood diner led to a music publishing deal with Universal-PolyGram. Music became a full time pursuit with major dates on the Lilith Fair tour and the release of her first album, Shocked and Devastated, following soon after.
Blair wrote and performed an original tune, “If Your Love Is True,” in the film, The Anniversary Party, and her song, “Troubles” was featured on the soundtrack. She's also written songs for numerous other soundtracks including Stuart Little and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. One of the best compliments, however, was receiving a call from Marianne Faithfull about covering her song Good Advice which had been featured in Glen Ballard's film, Clubland.
Critics have described Blair’s music as “Artful pop suffused with a darkly comic outlook” (Puncture) - “Witty and pretty, fractured, poignant and often hilarious” (L.A. Times) - “Spitefully Pleasurable” (The Village Voice). But UnCabaret producer Beth Lapides perhaps put it best: “Blair’s songs are like bonsai trees, encapsulating the beauty of smallness.”
Photo by Solomon Emquis