AMANDA SOMERVILLE, Who Has Toured With EPICA And AVANTASIA, Diagnosed With 'Malignant And Aggressive Brain Tumor'

Amanda Somerville, the acclaimed American singer-songwriter and vocal coach who grew up in Michigan and moved to Germany to build her music career, has been diagnosed with "a malignant and aggressive brain tumor."

The news of Amanda's diagnosis was revealed earlier today (Saturday, September 19) by her husband, AFTER FOREVER co-founder, main songwriter and guitarist Sander Gommans, who wrote on his social media: "Hi friends, I have some very sad news to share. The love of my life, mother of my three daughters and my beautiful wife Amanda Somerville, has a malignant and aggressive brain tumor.

"We're shocked, devastated and I can't describe the challenges we're facing as a family right now.

"We're very grateful with the help we're getting from family and friends.

"Positive thoughts help, prayers help, keeping us in your minds help.

"Please be there for Amanda and our kids and have us in your minds.

"Feel free to share this message in a respectful way.

"Amanda gives so much to all of us…love, music, friendship, strength….it's time to send out hope and power to her.

"Thanks, it means a lot to us".

Amanda is a rock-solid authority of the music scene, both as a solo artist and sharing success and the stage with bands like AVANTASIA, EPICA and KAMELOT. Though her American roots are based in pop and rock, she fell in love with the metal scene and made it her home. She has toured with Alice Cooper, Ian Gillan and many more legends with her commanding voice and fronts the projects TRILLIUM and KISKE SOMERVILLE (with HELLOWEEN icon Michael Kiske). All of this, combined with her wide range of experience, grants her a unique edge and a permanent address in the metal world.

Amanda has resided and worked mainly in Germany and the Netherlands since 1999. She has collaborated with several other bands in the metal scene along with producers Sascha Paeth and Miro, and co-wrote the rock opera "Aina". Her own music is of the pop-rock genre.

Amanda was tapped to replace EPICA vocalist Simone Simons on the band's 2008 North American tour with SYMPHONY X due to Simons's health issues.

Somerville was featured on KAMELOT's 2007 release "Ghost Opera", and toured with AVANTASIA. She released her solo album, "Windows", in 2008.

Less than a decade ago, Amanda was involved in the EXIT EDEN project, also featuring three other female singers from the rock/metal scene: Clémentine Delauney (VISIONS OF ATLANTIS, SERENITY),Marina La Torraca (BATTLE BEAST) and Anna Brunner (LEAGUE OF DISTORTION).