Vanessa Olivarez

S2 · Eliminated 12th

As of 2026

Vanessa Olivarez writes and performs with Elizabeth Elkins in the duo Granville Automatic. The duo's website announces a new double album, Ghosts of Rooms, for late 2026. Their most recent listed albums are Radio Hymns (2018) and Tiny Televisions (2020), and the two co-wrote the book Hidden History of Music Row with Brian Allison.⁠[1][2][3][4]

Career

During or around the show

  1. 2003Released the single "The One", recorded in Toronto, which reached number nine on Canada's singles chart.⁠[5]

After the show

  1. 2005Was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female in a Principal Role in a musical, for Hairspray.⁠[5]
  2. 2009Co-founded the country duo Granville Automatic with guitarist and songwriter Elizabeth Elkins.Granville Automatic⁠[5]
  3. January 31, 2012Granville Automatic released the digital EP Live from Sun Studio, from a set taped for the PBS series Sun Studio Sessions.Granville Automatic⁠[5]
  4. May 1, 2012Granville Automatic released its self-titled album.Granville Automatic⁠[5]
  5. 2015Granville Automatic released An Army Without Music, an album of songs inspired by American Civil War battles.Granville Automatic⁠[2][5][8]
  6. 2018Granville Automatic released Radio Hymns, an album of songs about Nashville's history.Granville Automatic⁠[1][2]
  7. 2020Granville Automatic released Tiny Televisions, a companion album to the book Hidden History of Music Row.Granville Automatic⁠[2][3]

Date not documented

  1. With Elizabeth Elkins, wrote songs recorded by other artists, including Billy Currington, Sugarland, Wanda Jackson and Angaleena Presley.⁠[1][5]

Discography

All releases are credited to Granville Automatic.

TitleTypeYearLabelRIAA certificationU.S. sales
Live from Sun Studio⁠[2][5]Live album2012
Granville Automatic⁠[2][5]Album2012
An Army Without Music: Civil War Stories From Hallowed Ground⁠[2][5]Album2015
Radio Hymns⁠[2]Album2018
The Singles⁠[2]Compilation2020
Tiny Televisions⁠[2]Album2020

Awards

Checked October 6, 2026; none found.

Other activity

  • 2004Played the lead role of Tracy Turnblad in the Canadian production of the musical Hairspray.⁠[5]
  • 2020No Depression named Hidden History of Music Row, the book she co-wrote with Elizabeth Elkins and Brian Allison (The History Press, foreword by Kix Brooks), a Best Book of 2020.⁠[1][3][4]

Sources

8 sources

  1. About - Granville Automatic — Granville Automatic (official website), updated 2026. Label or artist. Retrieved October 6, 2026.
    Cited parts (5)
    • About page, paragraph 1: “Ghosts of Rooms is coming late 2026.”
    • About page, paragraph 1: “Granville Automatic is the songwriting partnership of Elizabeth Elkins and Vanessa Olivarez.”
    • About page: “Granville Automatic's last two albums, Tiny Televisions and Radio Hymns feature songs inspired by Nashville's lost history.”
    • About page, last paragraph: “the two have written songs recorded by country stars Billy Currington (Billboard Country Top 30), Sugarland, Ward Davis, Cassidy Daniels, Aubrie Sellers”
    • About page: “Vanessa and Elizabeth are co-authors of the critically-acclaimed book Hidden History of Music Row (The History Press), with a foreword by Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn.”
  2. Music - Granville Automatic — Granville Automatic (official website), updated 2026. Label or artist. Retrieved October 6, 2026.
    Cited parts (6)
    • Album list: “Tiny Televisions (2020)”
    • Album list: “An Army Without Music: Civil War Stories From Hallowed Ground (2015)”
    • Album list: “Radio Hymns (2018)”
    • Album list: “Live From Sun Studio (2012)”
    • Album list: “Granville Automatic (2012)”
    • Album list: “The Singles (2020)”
  3. Book - Granville Automatic — Granville Automatic (official website), updated 2026. Label or artist. Retrieved October 6, 2026.
    Cited parts (3)
    • Book page: “Granville Automatic's book, Hidden History of Music Row, with a foreword by Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn”
    • Book page: “Listen to the book's companion album Tiny Televisions wherever you stream music”
    • Book page: “The book was named a Best Book of 2020 by No Depression.”
  4. THE READING ROOM: Book Hangs Onto Disappearing History of Music Row — No Depression, published September 24, 2020. News report. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
    Cited parts (1)
    • Paragraph naming the book and its authors: “Hidden History of Music Row (The History Press), by Brian Allison, Elizabeth Elkins, and Vanessa Olivarez.”
  5. Vanessa Olivarez (Wikipedia revision 1371037700) — Wikipedia, updated August 24, 2026. Reference work (secondary). Retrieved October 6, 2026.
    Cited parts (8)
    • Lead sentence: “born April 7, 1981”
    • Infobox, Born line (birth_date): {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1981|4|7}}
    • Granville Automatic section: “In 2009 she co-founded Granville Automatic, a country duo, with guitarist and songwriter Elizabeth Elkins”
    • lead: “She is the vocalist, songwriter, and [[autoharp]]ist for the country bands Granville Automatic and Mama's Blue Dress”
    • Lead; Canada and first singles section: “Later that year, she released a single, "The One", which peaked at number nine on the Canadian charts.”
    • Awards and nominations table, 2005 row: “Outstanding Performance by a Female in a Principal Role - Musical”
    • Granville Automatic section; Discography: “They recorded an eight-song set for an episode of PBS' Sun Studio Sessions (taped at Memphis' Sun Studio) and the digital-only EP Live from Sun Studio is available online.”
    • Discography, Albums: “Granville Automatic - "Granville Automatic" - Release date: May 1, 2012”
  6. American Idol season 2 — Wikipedia, updated September 16, 2026. Reference work (secondary). Retrieved October 6, 2026.
    Cited parts (1)
    • Elimination chart row Vanessa Olivarez: Pl. 12, Eliminated in the Top 12 column (3/12); ratings table episode 'Top 12 Results', March 12, 2003
  7. List of American Idol finalists — Wikipedia, updated June 10, 2026. Reference work (secondary). Retrieved October 6, 2026.
    Cited parts (1)
    • Contestants table, row Vanessa Olivarez: season 2, place finish 12th
  8. Band releases album of songs inspired by American Civil War — Associated Press (via The New Zealand Herald), published August 16, 2015. News report. Cited by another source; not opened by our researchers.

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