Music & Dance
DIUNNA GREENLEAF and BLUE MERCY
Houston, Texas
Blues
Following in the footsteps of many great Texas blues singers, Diunna Greenleaf combines elements of gospel, jazz, R & B and soul to create her own style of blues. While she possesses a voice of tremendous power and passion, she is also capable of the nuance that marks a truly fine singer.
Diunna is a native of Houston, Texas, and grew up in a family in which music was always present. Her father was a gospel singer and vocal coach to such singers as Johnny Taylor, Cecil Shaw and Sam Cooke, while her mother’s café, Miss Mary’s Place, was where visiting musicians would hang out. During Diunna’s childhood, the Greenleaf household was also a pit stop for black musicians who came to play at The Matinee on Lyons Avenue. Just down the street a bit farther was her uncle’s blues joint where, unbeknownst to her parents, Diunna’s uncle generally took her when he was “babysitting.” Here she spent many hours listening to the great blues guitarist Albert Collins, a club regular. Diunna also listened to the recordings of Koko Taylor, Sam Cooke, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Muddy Waters and Aretha Franklin, mixing these classic influences with more contemporary sounds to produce her unique style.
Greenleaf’s commitment to the blues goes beyond performing on stage. She served for three years as president of the Houston Blues Society, the first woman ever elected to this position. As president she produced the Willie Mae Thornton Blues Festival, and promoted the Blues in the Schools program throughout the state.
Diunna’s longtime backing group, Blue Mercy, features Albert King, award winning guitarist John Richardson, bassist Joshua Preslar and Richard Cholakian on drums. Together they form a tight complement to Diunna’s impressive vocals. In 2005, Diunna Greenleaf and Blue Mercy placed first in the International Blues Challenge, propelling them to international attention. In 2007, Greenleaf was nominated for Blues Foundation’s Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year award.
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