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. Shemekia has released 12 albums. She has also won many awards for her music. These include nine Blues Music Awards and five Blues Blast Music Awards. In December 2024, Shemekia was nominated for three Grammy Awards.
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Early Life and First Performances
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 public performance was at the Cotton Club. She was only about 10 years old then. She finished high school in 1997 in Teaneck, New Jersey.
Music Career Highlights
In 1998, Shemekia Copeland signed a record deal with Alligator Records. She released her first album, Turn the Heat Up!, that same year. Her second album, Wicked, came out in 2000. It included a song with singer Ruth Brown. This album helped her win three Blues Music Awards.
Later, she released Talking to Strangers, which was produced by Dr. John. In 2005, she put out The Soul Truth, produced by Steve Cropper.
In 2008, Shemekia joined Telarc International. Her first album with them, Never Going Back, was released in 2009. This album was nominated for an award. In December 2009, she was named "Rising Star - Blues Artist" by DownBeat Critics Poll.
A very special moment happened on June 12, 2011. At the Chicago Blues Festival, Shemekia was given Koko Taylor's crown. Koko Taylor's daughter, Cookie Taylor, officially named Shemekia the "New Queen of the Blues."
Shemekia's album Outskirts of Love reached number 6 on the Billboard Top Blues Albums chart in October 2015. In 2016, she won two major awards: "Contemporary Blues Female Artist" at the Blues Music Awards and "Best Female Blues Artist" at the Blues Blast Music Awards.
In August 2018, her album America's Child debuted at number 3 on the Billboard Top Blues Albums chart. This album won "Album of the Year" and "Contemporary Album of the Year" at the Blues Music Awards in 2019.
She continued to win awards. In May 2020, she won her second Blues Music Award for "Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year." She also won "Contemporary Blues Album" and "Female Blues Artist" at the Blues Blast Music Awards in 2021.
In July 2022, Shemekia was named Blues Artist of the Year by the DownBeat Critics Poll. Her tenth studio album, Done Come Too Far, was released on August 19, 2022. In 2023, she won the 'Instrumentalist - Vocals' category at the Blues Music Awards. She also received two Blues Blast Music Awards for "Best Female Blues Artist" and "Best Vocals."
In December 2024, Shemekia Copeland's album Blame it on Eve was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album. She also received nominations for Grammy Award for Best American Roots Performance and Grammy Award for Best American Roots Song. In March 2025, Blame it on Eve was nominated for a Libera Award for Blues Record. In July 2025, Shemekia was nominated for another Blues Blast Music Award in the "Female Blues Artist" category.
Personal Life
Shemekia Copeland lives in the San Diego area. She lives with her husband, Brian Schultz. They have a son named Johnny, who is named after Shemekia's father.
Discography
- 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) - compilation
- 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
