Demetria Taylor facts for kids

Demetria M. Taylor (born February 28, 1973) is an American Chicago blues singer and songwriter. She comes from a very musical family. Her father, Eddie Taylor, was also a famous Chicago blues musician. Her step-brother Larry Taylor is a blues drummer, and her brother Eddie Taylor Jr. was also a blues musician. Demetria's mother, Vera, was a singer and related to other blues artists like Eddie "Guitar" Burns and Jimmy Burns.

Demetria Taylor has released two albums with Delmark Records.

Life and Music Journey

Demetria was born in Chicago, Illinois. She was the seventh of eight children in her musical family. She started playing drums when she was 14 years old. Her older brothers, Larry and Tim, who were both professional blues drummers, taught her.

She performed in family shows around Chicago, often with her guitar-playing brother, Eddie Taylor Jr. She also sang in the gospel choir at Trinity All Nations Church in Chicago. Demetria was inspired by famous singers like Etta James, Bessie Smith, Big Mama Thornton, and Koko Taylor.

When she first started performing professionally, Demetria had a lot of fun. She opened for well-known artists like Billy Branch and Jimmy Johnson at Buddy Guy's Legends. She then began touring, first across the United States and later in other countries.

First Album: Bad Girl

Her first album, Bad Girl, came out on May 17, 2011. It was released by Delmark Records. Many talented musicians helped with the album, including Billy Branch and Eddie Shaw. The album had eleven songs, including "All Your Love" and "Big Boss Man". She also sang a duet with Big Time Sarah on the song "Wang Dang Doodle".

In 2012, Demetria Taylor was nominated for a Blues Music Award. This was for the 'Best New Debut Artist' category. Since then, she has performed at many places and music festivals. This includes the famous Chicago Blues Festival. Demetria believes that singing is what she was meant to do. She sometimes gets emotional on stage because she feels the music so deeply.

Second Album: Doin' What I'm Supposed to Do

Her second album took some time to create. It was recorded in Chicago between 2019 and 2022. The album, called Doin' What I'm Supposed to Do, was released on August 19, 2022. Many of the songs were written by her family members. Other songs were written by musicians like Mike Wheeler and Larry Williams. Demetria also wrote a couple of songs herself.

Mike Wheeler, Billy Flynn, and Carlos Showers played lead guitar on the album. Deitra Farr was a special guest singer on one song, "Blues Early This Morning". This song was written by Demetria's mother, Vera Taylor. Billy Flynn also played guitar on "(Wreck On) Highway 83", which was written by Demetria's father, Eddie Taylor. A party was held in Evanston, Illinois, on August 22, 2022, to celebrate the album's release.

Awards and Family Life

In 2022, Demetria Taylor received the Koko Taylor 'Queen of the Blues' Award. This award is given by the Jus' Blues Foundation. She got the award at a ceremony in Tunica, Mississippi.

Demetria Taylor is married and has eight children.

Discography

See also

• List of Chicago blues musicians
• List of electric blues musicians