I won’t lie to you – when I was approached to interview singer Charlene Kaye, the light didn’t go on until I discovered that she frequently collaborates on music with Darren Criss. Criss I recognized – my 14-year-old son and his friends knew him from a 2009 series of viral YouTube music videos known as “A Very Potter Musical.” Criss plays Harry Potter in the parody – and he’s quite good in the role. Every teen girl I know knows every word to the “Potter Musical” songs and freaked out when Criss joined the cast of "Glee." (My son, in fact, had never been interested in the Fox show before he heard Criss was on it.) CHARLENE KAYE podcast excerpt: "He's just so charismatic. He handles himself so gracefully. People were swarming him at the Grammys. Everybody wanted a piece of Darren Criss... And it was not bad to be arm candy for Darren Criss. It was amazing."  Now, it can be a publicist’s boon or bust when pitching a client based on with whom she hangs out. Because if the less-well-known artist doesn’t have the goods, she will falter by comparison. Not Charlene Kaye. This young woman has one of the richest, most engaging voices I’ve heard in years. She has a striking style, confidence, and delivery. Charlene just finished playing multiple dates at the 2011 South By Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas, and is working on her second album with her band, The Brilliant Eyes. Want to hear the future of music? Forget American Idol — support Charlene Kaye! Charlene Kaye • • • • • •