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for my second blues CD, it was not as complex as I thought because I learned to tell the stories of
my everyday life experiences. Outside of singing in the gospel choir in front of a church audience, I
did not sing in front of a blues music crowd until mid 1996. I had to develop confidence in my style
and how I projected it to the audience.

LL: What did your father teach you about the music business?
TT: When my father passed away, I was only 21, married with a daughter, and worked for my local

state government as a caseworker. The only singing I was doing during that time was in my church
choir, weddings, private and public events, and the local theatre. In 1996 I was asked by a former
European promoter for my father if I would like to come to Europe and sing at some of the Blues
Festivals. I listen to and learned many songs from many pioneer blues ladies until the Blues lived in
my soul with no exceptions. I agreed with the terms and conditions of his contracts and the rest is

history. My professional blues music career
took off. For most of my career I never had a
booking agent, publicist or promoter. I had to
learn the business mostly on my own, along
with knowledge that Robert Hughes shared
and contributed. I did hear my father say
many times in the past, not to be a sellout. My

terms and conditions trump most all others.
While I did really well and worked plentiful,
agent support may have been a double posi-
tive for me. At times when I look back, I
wouldn't have had it any other way. I built a

daytime career and a 25 plus years music ca-
reer at the same time and looking back I have
no regrets.
LL: In 2014 you made a presentation on the

theme "Women in Blues,", as part of the
state series speaker forum at Penn State
University, PA. In your experience, what is
the current state of women in the blues?
Have we come a long way, baby?

TT: As with anything, women in blues has
evolved. It should be noted that a black wom-

an and pioneer of woman in blues was a ma-
jor contributor to the blues music world and
American roots music. In 1920 when the in-
dustry discovered a black woman's high profit
potential in the race music market, specifical-
ly after the recording of Mamie Smith's ‘Crazy

Blues’ expressing how she couldn't eat or
sleep because the man she loved wouldn't treat her right. Many women black or white from the
south, east, north and west could relate to those words.