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BiTS INTERVIEW with Teeny Tucker

“To be an artist is to believe in life.” – Henry Moore

Regina B. Higginbotham (born January 22, 1958) known professionally as Teeny Tucker is an
American electric blues and new blues singer and songwriter. She is the daughter of the late

Tommy Tucker.

Teeny Tucker was born in Dayton, Ohio, United States. She sang in her local church choir. Her
father, a blues performer best known for his 1964 hit song, ‘Hi—Heel Sneakers,’ died tragically at
the age of 42 in January 1982, on his daughter's 24th birthday.

I spoke to her on the telephone and although the original

intention was to concentrate on her music, an isolation
revelation soon changed the
direction of our
conversation.

Despite her association with
Tommy Tucker, she told me
that she first performed
professionally in November 1996.

“I had been singing church

music”, she told me. “I got an
invitation from German Blues
promoter and manager who had
promoted European tours for
my father. The problem was”,

she said, “I didn’t really know
any blues songs, just church
music and gospel . So I had to settle down and learn some stuff.”

Ms Tucker, spent many hours listening to blues music and learning songs, including listening to
music in her car while she was transporting her grandchildren. “When I put on the music,” she
laughed, “They’d shout out ‘Put on Johnny Lee Hooker’. They got into it like I did!”

The tour proved to be a great success and AllMusic noted recently that, "Teeny Tucker is among a
growing number of female blues belters taking different paths to stardom or wider recognition, but
she's one of the very best..."

“I have released five albums to date,” She told me. “ And I have appeared on the same bill with B.B.
King, Koko Taylor, Etta James, Buddy Guy, the Holmes Brothers, Robert Cray, Keb' Mo', Deanna
Bogart, Kenny Neal, Bobby Rush, and John Mayall, to name a few!