News & Press
Norton Center for the Arts kicks off its 2011-2012 Season with Grammy-Winning Robert Cray Band and new “queen of blues” Shemekia Copeland
Aug 17, 2011
DANVILLE, KY— On Friday, September 9, 2011 Centre College’s Norton Center for the Arts kicks off its 2011-2012 series with a double concert featuring the Robert Cray Band and special guest Shemekia Copeland.
“The Norton Center has a rich history of presenting legendary performers, so it seemed fitting to launch the new season with Robert Cray, one of the most sought after blues icons in the world, and Shemekia Copeland, a rising star of the genre,” says Steven A. Hoffman, the Norton Center’s executive director. “People new to blues music will get a taste of Cray’s smooth and crystalline sound that keeps crowds of all ages returning to his live performances. Copeland’s brass and sass music recalls the rich traditions of Etta James and the Stax-era of the blues.”
Robert Cray, a five-time Grammy® award-winner (including Best Contemporary Blues Performance) recognized for his signature blend of R&B, pop, rock, soul and traditional blues, has introduced many new fans to the blues genre. He has performed alongside blues titans Albert Collins, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton and B.B. King, as well as icons Tina Turner, Keith Richards, Chuck Berry, Bonnie Raitt and Stevie Ray Vaughn. As a writer, his songs have been sought after by many of the greats, including B.B. King, Eric Clapton and Tony Bennett.
After completing a European tour this August, Robert Cray performs across the United States at some of the leading blues festivals nationwide. In February 2011, The Blues Foundation in Memphis, Tennessee honored Robert Cray by asking him to lead the Blues Hall of Fame “Class of 2011.” Other inductees this year included singer-guitarist John Hammond, singer-songwriter Denise LaSalle, vocalists Big Maybelle and Alberta Hunter, and singer-songwriter J.B. Lenoir.
Current band members on tour with Robert Cray include: Tony Braunagel (drums), Jim Pugh (keyboards), and Richard Cousins (bass guitar). The band’s most recent album, Cookin’ In Mobile, was released in 2010 and is the performers’ first live concert released on DVD to date, and Robert Cray’s third live album.
Shemekia Copeland, a New York native, has been ranked as one of the world’s top blues performers, and is a force with which to be reckoned. While still in her 20s, she opened for the Rolling Stones, headlined numerous blues festivals internationally, scored critics choice awards on both sides of the Atlantic (The New York Times and The Times in London) and shared the stage with such luminaries as Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Taj Majal and John Mayer.
Copeland’s passion for singing, matched with her huge, blast-furnace voice, gives her music a timeless power and a heart-pounding urgency. Her music comes from deep within her soul and from the streets where she grew up, surrounded by the everyday sounds of the city – street performers, gospel singers, blasting radios, bands in local parks and so much more.
Born in Harlem, New York, in 1979, Copeland actually came to her singing career slowly. Her father, the late Texas blues guitar legend Johnny Clyde Copeland, recognized his daughter’s talent early on. He always encouraged her to sing at home, and even brought her on stage to sing at Harlem’s famed Cotton Club when she was just eight. At the time, Shemekia’s embarrassment outweighed her desire to sing.
At the Chicago Blues Festival on June 12, 2011 Copeland was presented with blues legend Koko Taylor’s crown and officially honored as the new “Queen of the Blues” by Taylor’s daughter, Joyce "Cookie" Threatt. The festival marked the two year anniversary of Taylor’s death and by official proclamation of the Chicago Blues Festival, the Governor of Illinois and the City of Chicago, Copeland was presented with Taylor’s original tiara on stage in the middle of her set.
Copeland’s most recent album, Never Going Back, was released in 2009 and is available on iTunes.
The Robert Cray Band and Shemekia Copeland performance begins at 8:00 PM. Tickets are on sale now and range from $28-$55.
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