ReW STaRR - Biography

ReW STaRR bio 

New York City Rew Starr is a mom, songwriter, web show host, illustrator and actress. 

Crowned Miss Underground NYC in 2017 and dubbed a “firebrand” by The New York Times , Rew channels equal parts Courtney Love and a gothic version of Olivia Benson from Law & Order. 

Rew is deeply rooted in the East Village music community, and comes from a family of troubadours. Both sets of her grandparents grew up in the Lower East Side; her grandmother performed in Vaudeville, while her great grandmother ran a speakeasy in LES during prohibition.  

Most recently, Rew  hosted ‘ReW & WhO?’ her web talk show, for seven years from the stage at cherished watering hole Otto’s Shrunken Head on 14th Street between avenues A&B. 

Her show spotlighted many local and international artists,  and featured both rising stars and living legends. 

The show’s motto stayed true to the Marilyn Monroe quote, “Everyone is a star and deserves their right to shine.” Show episodes are still some of the most popular videos on YouTube.  

When the quarantine started in March in New York City, in response to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, Rew was approached to start the show again -- but in a virtual medium. 

Rew saw this as an important opportunity to build connection during a difficult time, and teamed up with ‘Hot Indie Media’ to reboot her show as ‘Renegade Rewandwho.’ 

The show currently runs via Zoom, as an open-mic style experience, highlighting musicians and artists from all over the globe who seek a loving community to share their music, poetry, and more.  

Renegade ReWandWhO? streams once or twice a week and recently surpassed the 50-episode milestone.

A real community of post-pandemic “renegades” has formed, keeping songwriting and performing alive during this unique time of our lives.  

In addition to running her biweekly show, Rew has been drawing daily throughout this pandemic and her art has taken off.

Throughout the pandemic, friends, strangers and artists offer suggestions on what to draw, and the collection of a few illustrations has bloomed to hundreds of daily pictorials of everyday life in the pandemic, and she will continue drawing until the pandemic is over. 

The art captured the attention of the mental health community, and Rew recently won an award in a contest for a mental health project  from ‘TAG” with one of her drawings.  

She also is a recipient of  the 2020 ‘Acker Awards’. 

Rew has been teaching singing and guitar for decades in lower Manhattan and has many recordings of her students all recorded in the LES as well.

She is signed with Manta Ray Records and sponsored by Daisy Rock Guitars. 

Rew filmed two music videos over the summer of 2020 with her two bands. 

Her original song ‘Like I Never Knew’ was filmed on a rooftop in the LES with her band ‘The ReWd oNeZ’.

She also starred in pandemic-styled video of the cover ‘To Sir with Love’ with her band ‘the ReWlettes, directed by Christopher Martini, which will premiere in January 2021.

To Sir, with Love - The ReWlettes  

Rew has been acting non stop for the past five years. She has been nominated for Best Actress as Stella in ‘A $200 Rhinoceros’ {Strawberry One Act Festival, Rick Mueller), was Dr Erin 'Oakley in ‘What They’ll Remember' (Nuyorican Poetry Club, Eureka Lewis) and many other theater productions around NYC.  

In film she was nominated ‘Best Actress’ at the ‘Hang Onto Your Shorts Film Festival’ for her role as Monty in ‘Garbaggio’ {Michael Irgang),   

Rew works regularly with her Yorkie,  ZsaZsa Gabone and they have been in multiple music videos and endless indie films together.  

Rew was featured on 'Love Lust or Run' w/ Stacy London (TLC).  

As the Village Voice noted, when summing up Rew in a single phrase;

“This is what  you moved to New York for.”