Jolene Jolene
Blues oriented, soul singer with a sense of humor and unique ideas. Great groove & vocals, famous musicians. Country, Blues, Soul, Funny, Original.
2
songs
128
plays
All I Want Is A Man All I Want Is A Man
Hardcore Blues song about what girls really want in a man.
What PIPES! This lady has some soul and these are great songs! Some are really funny (Brain Cell), some are about heartbreak (My Heart Is Like A Ghost Town) some are sassy (Chickee) and some are unique with great groove! (Sneaky Pete). Jolene's songs run a wide spectrum as life does itself.Band/artist history
Jolene Kay Written by Bob Doerschuk
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You can't run from life, if you want to sing with soul.
Jolene Kay proves the point. She's no stranger to hard times. But with each new chapter this gifted singer/songwriter has stood up, stronger and more tuned in to the world, and readier than ever to sing about it all.
"I've been through a lot," she says. "I guess my sense of humor has helped me survive -- that, and music, which has always been a way out."
The humor is evident in Jolene's quick laugh and the twinkle that never seems to leave her eyes. As for the music, it's not easy to find any singer whose natural voice has a range like hers, capable of whispered intimacy as well as roof-raising projection. And what she does with that voice makes Jolene even more exceptional; whether crooning a country ballad, digging into a lowdown blues, or rattling the walls with her gospel intensity, she brings that rare thing -- soul -- to the table.
You can't bottle it. You can't learn it in a classroom. You only get this kind of feeling from taking the pleasure and pain of life, breathing it in, and coming back for more.
That's been Jolene's story from the start. As part of a large family of singers in a small rural town, she was raised in a climate of nonstop music. "I heard it all," she laughs, "from Manhattan Transfer to Tennessee Ernie Ford to polka, so boundaries never meant anything to me."
At age three she began singing in church, where she also studied classical repertoire with the choral director. By the time she'd graduated from high school, Jolene had been trained on several different instruments and clocked countless hours in choir and band concerts.
Then, freed to pursue her dreams, Jolene began her personal and professional odyssey. Fueled by her passion to explore and perform, she rambled wherever the spirits seemed to point: San Francisco, Los Angeles, and finally Nashville. Along the way she's held more than a few odd jobs, including a summer gig as an assistant dolphin trainer, an AMTRAK job that catered to her interest in staying on the move, voiceover work for Walker: Texas Rangers, and a few months behind the wheel of an ice cream truck in Running Springs, California.
The one thing that never changed was her growth as a singer. Jolene sang in any and every style -- with an amusement park bluegrass production, with Top 40 and blues bands in the Bay Area, with a Prince-style 13-piece revue and singing in phonetic Spanish with a Latino outfit in Southern California. She crossed paths with an odd assortment of characters along the way, from Jim Carrey, whom she befriended while working at the Comedy Store on Sunset Strip, to Peter Noone, with whom she fondly remembers "getting drunk" after they had shared a bill in L.A.
As she traveled, her reputation spread as a singer of unusual emotional power. She connected with musicians everywhere she went; session greats Freddie Washington and Harvey Mason, as well as members of Bob Dylan's band and Tower of Power, worked with her; others, including Little Feat bassist Kenny Gradney, declared themselves fans, and some, such as Rick Lonow, whose credits include songs recorded by Poco and Tommy Tutone, became writing partners. She was chosen by listeners of the KLOS program Local Licks for their "Best of Local Licks" show, nominated by the California Country Music Association for honors as "Female Vocalist of the Year," and flown to Switzerland to headline at the Uster Country Music Festival. In Nashville, legendary producer and songwriter Hall of Fame member, Cowboy Jack Clement, who produced 149 albums including Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, U-2, Louis Armstrong, Charley Pride and Waylon Jennings to name a few, made her a featured vocalist on his critically acclaimed album, “I Guess Things Happen That Way” and Eddie Arnold‘s soon to be released album by RCA Records.
Today, as a session singer, songwriter and performer in Nashville, Jolene seems somewhat settled down -- but don't believe it. As new opportunities beckon for recording her own project and headlining more of her own gigs, it's clear that life isn't quite finished with Jolene Kay -- and that her love affair with music is only just beginning.
"As I once heard Glen Campbell, I can play anything I want to," she declares. That you can believe.Have you performed in front of an audience?I play live whenever possible! I love it! ONe of the best gigs I've had was at Douglas Corner in Nashville where Cowboy Jack Clement came to see me. He took me under his wing and has given me a lot of opportunity.
Your musical influences
Little Feat, Bonnie Raitt, Lyle Lovett, Etta James, Gretchen Wilson, Heart, Dixie Chicks, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, blues, motown, country, Johnny Cash, Allison Krauss, Phish, Aretha Franklin, Martha Vandella, Eric Clapton, Jack Clement, Kris Kristofferson, John Prine, Bonaroo, John Denver, Manhattan Transfer, jazz, Kelli Pickler, Carrie Underwood, soul music, Graham Parsons, The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, Blues Festivals, Cletus T. Judd, Ray Stevens, Minnie Pearl, Grand Old Opry, Michael McDonald, The Doobie Brothers, Bramlett, Squeeze, Tom Jones, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Jimmy Durante, The Marx Brothers, Martina McBride, Trisha Yearwood, Garth Brooks, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, The Whites, Sippy WallaceWhat equipment do you use?
It variesAnything else?
Check out some of this music! It's unique, fun and soulful. YOu'll love it!
Nashville, TN
USA
ID
935694
Contact
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