Alex Baker

''"There's just something about a girl and her music." Alex Baker, 36 L.C''

Alex Baker (born Alexandria Baker; 31 December, 13 L.C .) is a singer, songwriter, and musician best known for her four octave vocal range and skill as a guitarist. Baker wrote an composed numerous hits so far in her career (including "Stairway to Heaven," "Still Loving You," "The Wolven Storm," "Creep," "Smells Like Teen Spirit," and "Snow"); occasionally serves as a guest musician (piano, guitar, or vocals); and concurrently practices perfecting her skills as an illusionist.

Baker is born of Lordaeron descent and grew up in Stratholme among a middle class family till the age of nine, before being forced from the city during Arthas Menethil 's culling. Having risen from a life of poverty after losing everything, Baker currently owns a mansion in the mountains of Elwynn Forest and regularly performs for charity in Stormwind.

Early Life
Baker was born in Straholme, Lordaeron (now Eastern Plaguelands ). Her parents, Lance Baker (-10 L.C–23 L.C.) and Olivia Rosewood (-12 L.C.–presumed dead), were from Capital City (now Undercity ) in the then Kingdom of Lordaeron (now Tirisfal Glades ). As a woman from Lordaeron, Baker and her parents practiced faith in the Church of the Holy Light. Baker has two sisters and a brother, all presumed to have died in the Culling of Stratholme.

Baker spent her childhood in Stratholme and began taking vocal lessons at the age of five. In 20 L.C., at the age of six, Baker was sent to study at Bayview, a school for girls, where she met her longtime friend Sera Belmont. At the age of 7, Baker formed a school band, Ivory Tower, and covered popular artists of her generation. A former bandmate from Ivory Tower recalls that Baker was attacked with rotten tomatoes and boo's during their first performance because she had "forgotten the words to a song everyone loved". It was also at Bayview where Baker began to call herself "Alex", because she felt any band whose lead vocalist had a name with five syllables would easily be forgotten.

At the age of 9, Baker and her family fled from Stratholme for safety reasons due to the Culling of Stratholme, in which over twenty-five thousand lives were taken. Baker's father, Lance Baker, had fallen ill due to the Plague of Undeath and died two days later on the road south of the city. Baker traveled with survivors, including her remaining family, for months before being ambushed by bandits in the Arathi Highlands. During the attack, Baker and Belmont, who was among the survivors, managed to escape from being taken as prisoners. Baker's mother, Olivia Rosewood was among those taken, and the whereabouts of Olivia Rosewood are currently unknown, but she is presumed deceased.

At the age of 10, Baker and her friend encountered a travelling troupe of musicians ran by former Archmage Cederik Hayes. Hayes taught Baker the art of arcane illusion and encouraged her to continue pursuing music after hearing her sing in a hot spring located in the eastern reaches of the Wetlands. Baker agreed and began to perform alongside the troupe. At age 13, with the help of Hayes, she composed her first song, "Stairway to Heaven."

At the age of 14, Baker and her friend left the troupe after experiencing abuse from the increasingly drunk Hayes. Baker joined a series of bands and picked up a job as a part-time tattoo artist at the Darkmoon Faire with boyfriend Chris Kaplan. Friends from the time remember her as an out-going and troublesome young woman who showed a great deal of interest in music. In 30 L.C. she joined the Darkmoon-based band Baby's Breath. When this band failed to take off, she joined her boyfriend Kaplan's band called Impending Ogre. However, by early 31 L.C. this group, along with Baker's relationship with Kaplan, had broken up as well.

Singer
Although Baker's speaking voice naturally fell in the alto range, many have labeled her as a soprano. Her vocal range extended from baritone A (A2) to soprano high F (F6). She can belt up to tenor high F (F5). Dwarvish bass singer of the acclaimed band "Beards in our Soup" describes her voice as "soulful and melodic at her lowest notes and pint-shatteringly pure and crystalline in her upper reaches."

Elite Tauren Chieften  lead singer Samoru, and former friend, called Baker "the best female voice out there. She can sing anything in any style. She could make dwarvish sound like it was spewed from the mouths of elves. She could jump through her registers from line to line and make each beyond perfect. She's brilliant."

Songwriter
The most notable aspect of her songwriting involves the wide range of genres she imposes, which included, among other styles, rock, progressive rock, folk, Eastern Kingdoms pop, gospel, and disco. As she explained in a 37 L.C. interview, "I hate doing the same thing again and again and again. I like to see what's happening now in music, film and theatre and incorporate all of those things." Compared to many popular songwriters, Baker also tends to write musically complex material. She also wrote nine songs in her solo career which deal with multiple key changes and complex material. Despite the fact that Baker often wrote very intricate harmonies, she also claims to not be able to read music.

Relationships
In the early 27 L.C, Baker had a long-term relationship with Chris Kaplan, whom she met as a co-worker through her job with the Darkmoon Faire. She, as well as her friend Sera Belmont, lived with Kaplan for four years in Darkshire, Duskwood. By the 31 L.C., the singer had begun a romantic affair with a female friend Sera Belmont and, in December 31 L.C., Baker told Kaplan of her affair, which ended their romantic relationship as well as her position as back-up vocalist in Kaplan's band. Baker and Belmont were forced from the Kaplan residence and the pair of women took to the streets of Stormwind. Baker has written several songs about Kaplan, the most notable of which is "Still Loving You".

Belmont and Baker remained a couple for the years following Baker's split with Kaplan, up until Belmont's sudden passing on Baker's birthday and new year's party in 34 L.C. Though the two dated for years, Baker has claimed to have never been lover's with Belmont, and that their relationship was strictly platonic.

By mid 37 L.C, she began another short-term relationship with Cathangea Graves (then disguised as a woman named Rosalyn), whom she met at the famed Blue Recluse. The two were seen together frequenting Stormwind nightlife, but again Baker claims the relationship was strictly platonic. The two split after Baker discovered Graves having an affair with her ex.

Sexual Orientation
Though having dated both men and women in the past, Baker claims to be completely straight. When interviewed on her sexuality in 37 L.C., her breakout year, she stated, "I like who I like, but when it comes to sex, I'd enjoy doing that with a man, not a woman. Not that I've ever even had sex." This quote has also led many to believe she is a virgin, whereas others claim Baker was "simply being playful."

Personality
Although she cultivated a nervous stage personality, Baker is outgoing and witty when not performing, whether she knew who she was or wasn't talking to. Baker once said: "I get nervous when it comes to my job, I throw up every time before I perform. I can't help it. I've had bad experiences before."

Controversy
Due to Baker's sudden rise in popularity and her known skill with illusions, many critics claim that the artist uses the magic to charm her listeners. Some even go as far as claiming the artist uses the magic when she isn't performing in order to draw affection and attention to her status. Many mages claim to have sensed that Baker radiates a charm, though avid fans claim that to be Baker's "natural charisma."

Trivia

 * 1) Baker, though never stopped practicing illusion, claims to have hated magic till she met Cathangea Graves.
 * 2) Baker is hetero-sexual but bi-romantic.
 * 3) One of Baker's most famous pieces, "Smells Like Teen Spirit," was an unwritten song by late Orcish songwriter Krag Kobune, of which she finished and translated.
 * 4) Baker has a fear of rats from an incident when she was younger.
 * 5) When asked what Baker found to be the sexiest thing a man could have, Baker responded: "A nice deep and super low bass singing voice. It melts my heart every time. That and a well kept beard."
 * 6) Baker still works as a tattoo-artist when she can in Stormwind Barber Shop. Many have said she's given them illusions while doing their ink in order to numb the pain.
 * 7) Baker claims to be an alcoholic and that writing drunk is the only way she can produce quality work.
 * 8) Baker is dedicated to fitness. She holds the woman's squat record for women her size in Gerald's Gymnasium in the Dwarvish District as 340lbs.
 * 9) Baker gets portal sick and avoids them when she can.
 * 10) Baker is known for wearing her emerald choker and is never seen leaving the house without it.

Note
I choose to follow the L.C calendar without time-skips, meaning that the current year for purposes of this wiki is 38 L.C., not 32 L.C.