Shemekia Copeland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shemekia Copeland
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Copeland at the 2019 Summit on Race
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Charon Shemekia Copeland |
| Born | April 10, 1979 New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | Electric blues, gospel, R&B |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Labels | Alligator Records, Telarc (2008-2012) |
Charon Shemekia Copeland (born April 10, 1979) is an American electric blues singer. She is known for her powerful voice and soulful music. Shemekia has released 12 albums and won eight Blues Music Awards. In 2024, she was nominated for three Grammy Awards, including for her album Blame it on Eve.
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Shemekia's Early Life and Music Journey
Shemekia Copeland was born in Harlem, New York City. Her father was Johnny Copeland, a famous Texas blues guitarist and singer. Shemekia started singing when she was very young. Her first time performing in public was at the Cotton Club when she was about 10 years old.
Starting a Career in Music
Shemekia decided to become a singer when she was 16. Her father's health was not good, so he took her on tour as his opening act. This helped her become known in the blues music world. Shemekia finished high school in 1997 at Teaneck High School in Teaneck, New Jersey.
Building a Successful Music Career
Shemekia signed a recording contract with Alligator Records. Her first album, Turn the Heat Up!, came out in 1998. After that, she toured many blues festivals in America and Europe.
Award-Winning Albums and Collaborations
Her second album, Wicked, was released in 2000. It included a song with Ruth Brown, one of Shemekia's favorite singers. This album helped her win three Blues Music Awards.
Later, she released Talking to Strangers, which was produced by Dr. John. In 2005, she released The Soul Truth, produced by Steve Cropper.
Joining Telarc and New Achievements
In 2008, Shemekia signed with Telarc International. Her first album with them, Never Going Back, came out in 2009. That same year, Down Beat magazine named her the "Rising Star - Blues Artist."
In 2011, Shemekia was given a special honor at the Chicago Blues Festival. Koko Taylor's daughter, Cookie Taylor, gave Shemekia Koko Taylor's crown. This officially made Shemekia the new "Queen of the Blues."
Continued Success and Recognition
Shemekia was nominated for a Blues Music Award in 2013. She won the award in 2016 for 'Contemporary Blues Female Artist'.
In 2015, her album Outskirts of Love reached number 6 on the Billboard Top Blues Albums chart. Her album America's Child came out in 2018 and reached number 3 on the same chart. This album won 'Album of the Year' and 'Contemporary Album of the Year' at the 40th Blues Music Awards in 2019.
In May 2020, Shemekia won another Blues Music Award for 'Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year'. In July 2022, she was named 'Blues artist of the year' by Downbeat Critics Poll. Her tenth studio album, Done Come Too Far, was released in August 2022. In 2023, Shemekia won the 'Instrumentalist - Vocals' award at the Blues Music Awards.
In December 2024, Shemekia Copeland was nominated for two Grammy Awards: 'Best American Roots Performance' and 'Best American Roots Song'. Her album Blame it on Eve was also nominated for 'Best Contemporary Blues Album'. The winners will be announced in February 2025.
Shemekia Copeland's Albums
- 1998: Turn the Heat Up (Alligator ALCD-4857)
- 2000: Wicked (Alligator ALCD-4875)
- 2002: Talking to Strangers (Alligator ALCD-4887)
- 2005: The Soul Truth (Alligator ALCD-4905)
- 2009: Never Going Back (Telarc CD-83692)
- 2011: Shemekia Copeland - Deluxe Edition (Alligator ALCD-5614) - a collection of her songs
- 2012: 33 1/3 (Telarc/Concord TEL-33199)
- 2015: Outskirts of Love (Alligator ALCD-4966)
- 2018: America's Child (Alligator ALCD-4984)
- 2020: Uncivil War (Alligator ALCD-5001)
- 2022: Done Come Too Far (Alligator ALCD-5010)
- 2024: Blame it on Eve (Alligator ALCD-5022)
See also
In Spanish: Shemekia Copeland para niños
