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LL: What kind of music were you exposed to while growing up?

VS: There was always music playing in my house. My mother loved musicals, mostly Rogers &
Hammerstein. My father was into the folk music of the 60’s, i.e. Chad Mitchell Trio and he loved
Barbra Streisand. I listened to early rock n’ roll and was particularly drawn to the vocally driven
bands like The Beatles, The Eagles, CSN, Moody Blues as well as female singer/songwriters like
Carole King and Joni Mitchell. I also loved the ladies of folk, Judy Collins and Joan Baez. It wasn’t
until my husband started carousing the local blues clubs in the bay area about 12 years ago that we
both discovered the blues. I had been singing and imitating rock female singers such as Heart, Pat

Benatar and Fleetwood Mac, for so long, I didn’t really discover my own “voice” until I started
singing the blues.

LL: When did you start playing guitar and singing? Did you study or are you self-taught?

VS: I think I started singing as soon as I
could talk honestly. I started playing
guitar around age 11 or 12. My dad
bought me this huge Mexican made nylon
string guitar. I could barely get my hand
around the neck! One of my fondest
memories is when my father pulled over

in his car (I was walking to a friend’s
house) and he opened the trunk and
presented me with a beautiful new
classical guitar. I also performed in the
school musical productions and choirs. I
have had guitar lessons off and on as well
as singing instruction, but I guess for the
most part, am more a self-taught
musician.

LL: When and how did you wind up living
in Sacramento?

VS: In 1987, John & I decided to relocate
to the bay area from Los Angeles with our
first-born son, James. I had a job
opportunity there doing independent

radio promotion, and we settled on the
peninsula. We raised our family in San
Bruno, CA until 2003 then we had the
opportunity to buy a home in Antelope,
CA (Sacramento County).

Sacramento is one of the best kept secrets. It is an hour and half from the beach and bay, and an
hour and a half from Tahoe, so we really have the best of all worlds here. It does, however, get hot
in the summer, hence my song on Lighter Side of the Blues "Sactown Heat".

LL: You and I have a lot in common. In addition to being native Californians, we’re both married to, and
make music with our bass playing husbands! How does that work out between you two?