With the mega-hit “Wang Dang Doodle,†Koko Taylor was crowned “The Queen of the Blues†early in her career and just recently won 3 Blues Music Awards. As the daughter of blues guitarist Johnny Copeland, Shemekia Copeland was introduced to the blues from birth. These two Ladies of the Blues will hit The Ridgefield Playhouse for Movies and Performing Arts stage at 8 p.m. on Saturday, September 13.
And the winner is . . . Koko Taylor for Traditional Blues Album of the Year (“Old Schoolâ€), Song of the Year (“Gonna Buy Me a Muleâ€) and Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year at the 2008 Blues Music Awards ceremony. “Old School†also garnered a Grammy nomination for this woman who sings the Chicago blues like no other. Live, she simply cannot be matched in her power and raw talent. “The Queen†is singing better than at any other time in her long, storied career—a career that includes singing with Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Robert Plant and every other imaginable legend
When Shemekia Copeland first appeared on the scene in 1997 with her groundbreaking debut album, “Turn the Heat Up,†she quickly became, at 18 years old, a roots music superstar. Critics celebrated Shemekia's music as fans of all ages agreed that an unstoppable new talent had arrived. She released two more albums, the Grammy-nominated “Wicked†WICKED and “Talking to Strangers,†and in that short period of time, collected five Blues Music Awards, a Grammy nomination, five Living Blues Awards, and was honored with the coveted "Talent Deserving Wider Recognition" Award by the DownBeat Critics' Poll.
For tickets and further information about The Ridgefield Playhouse, call the box office at 203-438-5795; tickets may also be purchased online at ridgefieldplayhouse.org. The Playhouse is at 80 East Ridge, parallel to Main Street.
