Sammy Vue

Shoua "Sammy" Vue (born November 25, 1974) is a Laotian-Canadian singer best known for performing as part of FanGirls.

Early years
Vue's Hmong parents were politically and racially persecuted in following the Communist takeover in 1975, so they fled to  via  and, and went to the Canadian embassy where they were granted asylum in. Her family initially lived in on social benefits until her father found work. She graduated from in 1993.

Early career
At the age of 12, Vue was discovered by concert promoter and teen pop guru Sjoerd Broekhuizen, who sent her to to record her first songs. The first song she recorded was "Playground Girl", written by Fabio Margutti and produced by David Zambelli and Walter Verdi. An album, Funtimes & Playtimes, was released in 1988 by. She received a Juno Award nomination for Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year, one of the youngest at the time. In 1989, she was an opening act for the It's the Paul Taylor Program! and It's the Mindy Taylor Program! casts on their European/Middle-Eastern tour. She also appeared on some episodes of both shows.

FanGirls
While in a class at, childhood friend Leah Amanda Shiller called her and informed her of an audition for a member of FanGirls. Vue, recognizing their soon-to-be-manager Barry Berlin from early in her prior teen pop career, auditioned the next day and was immediately accepted into the group, joining the group for the recording of their first album in,. Vue completed her university studies via correspondence. Vue claims that she "wasn't that much of a professional dancer" when she auditioned, and found much of the group's choreography difficult to learn. BMG's German division offered FanGirls a recording contract under the condition that they replace Vue and Shiller, whose dancing "weren't at the same level as the others." However, the other members of the group refused to accept the contract without the two, and Berlin convinced BMG executives that the two girls' dancing would quickly improve. BMG conceded, and FanGirls moved to, to begin their European promotional process.

Vue performed co-lead vocals on a few songs, most notably "The Power", and she also counts to four in her native Hmong at the start of "Just Bang Your Head".

Personal life
In 2001, she began dating Philip Mannsåker, who she met during the recording sessions for Girl Power. They married in 2008 at. They currently reside in on the - border, citing a "multitude of reasons" for moving there, including Vue's fascination with the city's industrial heritage, the natural beauty of the nearby areas and the quiet environment.

Vue enjoys a variety of activities, most notably customizing motorcycles and cars in her garage; watching the, and ; and visiting hot rod shows.