Lisa LaRue

Lisa LaRue, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, is a progressive rock keyboardist and composer whose work spans over three decades. Influenced by symphonic rock icons such as Kansas, Yes, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, she launched her recording career with Dreamscapes, which included a collaboration with Gong’s Gilli Smyth, released by Voiceprint US Records.

She made history as the first female Native American artist signed to Sound of America Records’ Natural Visions label, with her debut Beloved Tribal Women—a groundbreaking CD that incorporated a full fine art book featuring 14 paintings by Muscogee Creek artist Joan Hill, the most awarded female Native American artist.

In 2009, she founded Lisa LaRue Project 2K9, one of the first bands to embrace internet-based collaboration, working with musicians across the globe to produce the album World Class. This pioneering approach later evolved into the band Lisa LaRue 2KX.

Her 2012 album Transformation featured the track “Save Me,” which led to a significant collaboration with John Payne of Asia who she continued to work with for several years. She also worked with Michael Sadler of Saga on the track “Recurring Dream.”

LaRue has contributed to albums by Esquire (Nikki Squire), United Progressive Fraternity, and David Mark Pearce, among others. She has co-released works with Creek flutist John Timothy and Italian prog composer/keyboardist Federico Fantacone.

Lisa LaRue created Children’s Songs in the Cherokee Language  and is mentioned in the Houghton-Mifflin Encyclopedia of Women’s History as one of the pioneering female Native American musicians.

She has been nominated for a Native American Music Award and a Hollywood Music Award, and was named Native American Artist of the Year by the Oklahoma Music Awards. In 2024, she was honored as Northeast Kansas’ Remarkable Woman of the Year.

Lisa lives in Topeka, Kansas with her husband, audiobook director, producer, songwriter and guitarist/vocalist John Baker of Forever Twelve. Her son, Spencer Snedden, is a music producer, continuing the family’s creative legacy.

Her 2018 release Origins (Melodic Revolution Records) marked 25 years of recording, and her 2025 album forged from fire continues her legacy of genre-blending innovation.

She is also composer, producer and keyboardist for the Native American/Indigenous band RematriNation.