I want to become a singer... where do I start?

Learn to sing?

But yes seriously do you read music,

But you will need to start singing there are open mic nights all over the county every week, start going to them. There are many other places you can sing such as nusing homes, senior citizen centers. All of these you don't get paid, but you get expereince.

Remember if you are singing "covers" the songs of other people, and it in public, there is a fee or licesne agreement you will have to have, that is why you see most open mic nights using original songs, not covers.

What area are you in? What kind of genre do you sing? Can you play any instruments? Have you sung publicly before?

A lot of areas have websites of bands looking for members, but I can tell you from experience that singers are a dime a dozen. This shouldn't discourage you, but you should be prepared from some heafty competetion. Something's that almost any band is going to expect:

1) Have your own PA. The guitarest is bringing his own guitar, the drummer is bring his own drumes. Don't expect them to supply you with a mic and amps.

2) Write your own lyrics. Most bands, that are dealing with original music, have instrumentals laid down. If you come across as serious to them, they will be happy to offer you with MP3s to record your vocals on top of. Nobody is going to write the lyrics for you.

3) Be beautiful. Sorry, but this is part of the industry. People have to come to a show and stay at a show for CDs to sell. As a singer, you are the center of attention. All eyes are on you, and you have to keep them there. Dress the part for your genre, and make sure you stand out in a crowd.

4) Put yourself out there. Open mics are a great place to start. Write some solo pieces, and sing them any chance you get. Ever been to a karaoke show? Believe it or not, bands sometimes find their vocalists at these venues.

I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors.