Today we’d like to introduce you to Lady A.
Hi Lady A, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I began singing in the children’s choir at five years old at Greater Mt. Baker Baptist Church in Seattle (when it was a theater). My mother sang gospel music and my father was a drummer. Music was always in my home that I remember, especially when I stayed with my grandmother. She would play Johnnie Taylor, OV Wright, Nat King Cole, Bobby Rush and others.
I was a choir director at 16 because I could just hear harmony in my head and teach it to our choirs, so they put me in charge. I have always loved to sing, however in the beginning directing a choir, my back was always to the audiences. When I was asked to sing as a backup singer in the Sonny Byers Motown revue, I was scared to sing in front of people… It meant people would see my face… LOL
I used to go and sing with the local bands sometimes at Thompson’s Point of View (a little hole in the wall) in Seattle and Ms. Thompson really liked my singing and asked me if I would do a performance. I had no band of my own but was singing with the guys in the Motown revue, so I asked them to back me up, they became the Baby Blues Funk Band, so we were Lady A & the Baby Blues Funk Band… all that began in the ’90s… seems so long ago.
I have worked with some amazing musicians and producers (John Oliver III, Seattle, WA and Dexter Allen, Jackson, MS); along with my band members who have supported me and pushed me to the success I have today. I have traveled to different countries, been able to teach gospel music, sing blues and soul and dance folks to some blues-funk. I’m a happy person
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not always smooth. I have had my share of No’s in the industry. No because I was new, No because I was black, No because I was a woman, No because I was a black woman who was a band leader, No because people just didn’t see the potential that I saw in the music I sing.
Black women in the Blues genre are constantly hustling to make it in a world of music that our ancestors created. As though we have to prove that what we are singing is good enough to stand up to what white women are singing and playing and it doesn’t add up.
So the positive thing to do is to move past it by networking with women (black and white) that believe in your journey, who support you and speak your name in rooms that don’t normally hear you. Those are the people I align myself with.
If someone tells me no, I move to the yes without looking back.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a Singer, Songwriter, Producer, Entertainer, Activist, and Storyteller.
I specialize in telling stories through my music about my life, my music style, the world and its issues; about love and loss and most importantly about triumph and love.
I’m known for having big hair and taking selfies when I’m performing.
I’m most proud of the work I do in my community and the message I send to those that listen thru my music.
I am set apart by God and what he has for my life. He manages me.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I tell my young students to align themselves with people whom they would speak up for in a room and who in turn would speak up for them. To look for those they can help and in turn, you find those you look up to and can and will mentor you. As for networking, you must be someone willing to help others without looking for something in return.
What has worked for me is helping others when and where I can by producing shows for artists who may not have been to Seattle, introducing them, and therefore it’s an opportunity for my audience to breathe life into a new artist and get to know them. I like storytellers in music, so my audiences get a sense of who I am and whomever I may bring to Seattle. Networking is just simple communication in whatever form brings you joy, music, cooking, talking. Give something to others that enhance their life; a smile, a song, listening. It’s all networking to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ladyababyblues.com
- Instagram: LadyA_BluesDiva
- Facebook: LadyABluesDiva
- Twitter: LadyA@TheRealLadyA
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ladyabluesdiva/videos
Image Credits
Lady A
