Gioia Bruno

Italian-American singer, a member of the world-known group "Expose." From 1985 with their first mega hit, "Point of No Return," they worked together until 1991. Their recordings include "What You Don’t Know" and a Billboard No.1 hit single, "Seasons Change." Their two chart-topping albums were "Exposure" and "What You Don't Know."

Gioia (pronounced "Joya") was born in Italy and came to the U.S. as a baby. After a few years working in New York City, she moved to South Florida in 1985, looking for work. She was approached to join a band that was just forming; three girl singers who caught the attention of fans with their first hit. They toured the world: Asia, Guam, the UK, Europe, and the U.S. Much of it seemed surreal and was often exhausting .

"We were just so overworked and always tired, I felt I was literally dying!" Gioia said. "I ended up leaving the group because of my voice. It kind of happened overnight. At first I thought I had a little sore throat. Then soon my voice was just gone! I went to every laryngologist I could find from the 'three corners': here, California, and NY. They just said, 'No way can you keep this up: you're done.’ I would never sing again! The

diagnosis was an inoperable tumor on my vocal cords."

Devastated at first, Gioia figured that things had to have a reason. For one thing, she now had the time to be a mom to her daughter. She started a business, a small school for the Performing Arts.

In 1995, she found for the first time that she had a talent for songwriting. She limited her talking and in a few years – the tumor dissolved! She began to sing with a band called "Wet," only a little at first with her own music. Afraid of the competitive grind, she did a few local shows and found that her core of fans was still there. She wrote country, pop, hokie stuff, R & B to the hilt, and back to dance. Her newest dance single is "Free to Be.