YouTube sensation and American songwriter-singer Marie Digby is set to invade Metro Manila early next month.

She is scheduled to perform before an expected huge crowd of music lovers at the NBC Tent in Fort Bonifacio on Aug. 1.

Only 26 years old, Ms. Digby became an instant You Tube sensation in 2007 when she posted an acoustic cover version of the number 1 hit “Umbrella” by noted artist Rihanna. Her rendition has so far generated 12 million views at YouTube.

Before the You Tube episode, she had won the Pantene Pro-Voice competition in the US with her song “Miss Invisible” in 2004, a write-up on her at the Wikipedia showed.

She bagged $5,000 for the feat apart from the opportunity to work on an album with a professional producer and the chance to perform on stage with other top performers.

Her genres include pop and alternative rock and plays the guitar and piano.

By December 2005, she signed a contract with Disney-owned Hollywood Records where her first album containing original songs were done.

Her song “Fool” was chosen for inclusion in 2006 in “Girl Next” which is Disney’s compilation album.

Early on in her singing career, Marie Digby showed great talent and a promising future as a musician.

Her first album “Unfold” was no. 29 in the Billboard chart, no. 12 on iTunes album chart and no. 3 on Billboard’s Digital Top 100 album chart.

Her songs enjoyed various movie and television placements among which are “Smallville,” “Greek,” “The Hills,” and “One Tree Hill.”

She is the eldest among three children (all girls) raised by their Japanese mother and an Irish-American father who is a lawyer. They are staying in Los Angeles.

She was attending second year of a Philosophy course at the prestigious University of California -Berkeley where she had an eye for a Law degree later on to follow her Dad’s calling when the music bug hit her.

Her parents were taken aback when she told them of her plan to quit school and start a music career.

“Making it in music was impossible but I didn’t care what it took,” she was quoted as saying as she recalled how she was rejected when she applied for a part in school musicals and plays.

Among Digby’s musical pieces that have captured many by storm including habitues of Los Angeles bars like “The Troubadour” where she performed are “Breathing Under Water,” “Unfold,” “Daybreak,” “Avalanche,” “Feel,” “Lone with a Stranger,” “Come To life,” “Know You By Heart,” and “Symphony.”

Tickets to the Marie Digby Live show are available at all Ticketnet outlets and at Fearless Productions. (TM)