Gaye Adegbalola facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gaye Adegbalola
Adegbalola in 2016
Background information
Birth name	Gaye Todd
Born	(1944-03-21) March 21, 1944 (age 81) Fredericksburg, Virginia, U.S.
Genres	Blues
Occupation(s)	Singer guitarist
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	1984–present
Labels	Alligator

Gaye Adegbalola, born Gaye Todd on March 21, 1944, is a talented American blues singer and guitarist. She is also known as a teacher, speaker, and activist. Gaye has used her music and voice to share important messages.

Early Life and Education

Gaye Adegbalola was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia, on March 21, 1944. Her father, Clarence R. Todd, was a jazz musician. He was also the first Black school board member in Fredericksburg. He started a performing arts group for young Black people. This group was called "Souls of Shade" and is now known as "Harambee 360° Experimental Theater."

Gaye's mother, Gladys P. Todd, helped organize early civil rights efforts in Fredericksburg. She often brought home old jazz records for young Gaye. These records came from her job at the Youth Canteen.

High School and Activism

Gaye attended Walker-Grant High School, which was a segregated school. She graduated in 1961 as the top student in her class. During high school, she was part of the civil rights movement. She took part in many sit-in protests and picket lines.

After high school, Gaye went to Boston University. She earned a degree in biology there.

Gaye Adegbalola's Career

After college, Gaye Adegbalola had several interesting jobs. She worked as a writer for TRW Systems. She was also a researcher at Rockefeller University. Later, she became a bacteriologist at Harlem Hospital. While there, she was also a union representative. These jobs were very different from her first job as a teenager. Her first job was at a laundry mat, where she earned very little money.

From 1966 to 1970, Gaye was involved in a movement for Black equality in New York. She helped organize the Harlem Committee on Self-Defense. Through this work, she met important people like Audre Lorde.

Teaching and Music

In 1970, Gaye returned to Fredericksburg. She taught science and creative thinking classes in local schools. She also helped her father direct the Harambee Theater. Sometimes, she even acted in the performances herself. She continued this work until her father passed away in 1977.

That same year, Gaye started learning to play the guitar. She had already mastered the flute in her high school band. In 1978, she earned her Master of Education degree. In 1982, she was named Virginia's Teacher of the Year. For much of the 1980s, she led workshops for teachers. These workshops focused on ways to motivate students and teach effectively.

Saffire – The Uppity Blues Women

In 1984, Gaye Adegbalola and her guitar teacher, Ann Rabson, formed a music duo. Later, Earlene Lewis joined them, making it a trio called Saffire – The Uppity Blues Women. In 1992, Andra Faye replaced Earlene Lewis.

Saffire recorded their first album, Middle Age Blues, in 1987. It included songs like "They Call Me Miss Thang." The next year, Gaye became a full-time blues performer. In 1990, the band recorded their first album with Alligator Records. They won the "Song of the Year" W.C. Handy Award for their song "Middle Age Blues Boogie."

Solo Work and Recognition

During the 1990s, Gaye held workshops about blues music. She also reported on blues music for the World Cafe program on National Public Radio. In 1998, she helped start the Steering Committee of the Blues Music Association.

Her first solo album, Bitter Sweet Blues, was released in 1999. This album featured her own songs. It also included cover versions of songs by famous artists like Bessie Smith and Nina Simone.

Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women stopped performing together in 2009. However, Gaye Adegbalola has continued to work on her own music projects. In 2018, she was honored as one of the Library of Virginia's Virginia Women in History.

Personal Life

In 1992, Gaye Adegbalola faced a serious illness. Fortunately, she recovered. She has been with her life partner, Suzanne Moe, since 1991.

In the late 1960s, while living in Harlem, Gaye married Olumide. Her son, Juno Lumumba Kahlil, was born in 1969. He later became known in the goth and industrial music world. Gaye and Olumide later divorced.

Gaye's last name, Adegbalola, was given to her by a Yoruba priest in 1968. The name means "I am reclaiming my royalty." Gaye uses this name to show her pride in her Black heritage.

Discography

• Bitter Sweet Blues (1999)
• Neoclassic Blues (2004)
  • With Roddy Barnes
• Blues Gone Back (2006)
  • With Juno Lumumba Kahlil aka DJ Blacula – The Junabomber
• Gaye Without Shame (2008)
• Blues In All Flavors (2012)
  • Parents' Choice Gold Award in Music
• The Griot (2019)
• Is It Still Good To Ya? (2019)
• Satisfied (2023)