Australia’s 1st Lady of the Blues, Fiona Boyes, has been nominated in two categories for the 2017 USA Blues Music Awards, to be held at the Cook Convention Center, overlooking the Mississippi River in downtown Memphis. Named in the final five for ‘Acoustic Artist’ and ‘Acoustic Album of The Year’ for her Reference Recordings release ‘Professin’ The Blues’, Fiona is back in town for an exclusive warm-up show on Sunday April 9 at Mornington’s Royal Hotel.
Fiona is an Australian blues guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter, has been recording and performing for more than 25 years, building a career that has taken her to major festivals and stages around the world. A veteran recording artist with 13 releases, Australia’s first lady of the Blues has 5 USA Blues Music Award nominations in 4 different categories, and more than 30 Australian music awards, spanning the blues, folk, jazz and Americana scenes.
Boyes has been variously described by reviewers as a ‘musical anomaly’, ‘Bonnie Raitt’s evil twin’, or simply as ‘scaring the hell out of me’. How did this fair-haired gal, born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, of Scottish and English heritage, become an internationally recognised and awarded recording and touring artist? How did she come to be the first woman and non-American to win the International Blues Challenge in Memphis? Why did some of the great Mississippi Delta and Chicago blues giants, such as the late Pinetop Perkins and Hubert Sumlin, choose to describe her as one of the best women guitar players since Memphis Minnie, record on her albums, and share stages with her at international Blues festivals? How does it come about that the Mayor of Clarksdale, Mississippi, birthplace of the Blues, should present Fiona with the ‘Key To The City’, recognising her as an Aussie ambassador of the Blues?
The answer lays partly in Fiona’s striking and original talent; she writes, sings and plays just about anything in the Blues realm with passion and authenticity. It is also her immersion in the wide musical and historical traditions that make up the Blues and her deep love of the art-form itself.
Fiona has been recording and performing internationally for more than 25 years, building a career that has taken her to major festivals and stages in Australia, New Zealand, North America and Europe. A veteran recording artist with 13 releases, 6 international award winning albums, 4 successive Blues Music Award nominations in 4 different categories, 15 Australian Blues awards, as well as a string of accolades in the folk, jazz, and Americana scene, Fiona has carved out a well deserved reputation as a guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and band leader.
Fiona Boyes drops into Mornington’s Royal Hotel for an exclusive ‘only Melbourne show’ on Sunday April 9. Authentic Blues fans will relish in this boutique solo performance. Entry is free and the show starts at 3pm. For more details of the other exciting acts heading to The Royal visit www.theroyal.com.au.
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