Karen Carroll

This article is about the singer. For the Vermont Supreme Court Justice, see Karen Carroll (judge).

Karen Lynn Carroll (January 30, 1958 – March 9, 2016)[1][2] was an American blues singer.[3] She was born to Mack Carroll and Alberta Simmons Carroll (stage name Jeanne Carroll).[4]

Her godparents were the jazz guitarist George Freeman and the blues vocalist Bonnie Lee.[3]

Biography

Born in Chicago, Carroll started singing in church at the age of six.[5] In her first appearance on stage, she played guitar with her mother's band at age 14.[6] Early in her career she worked with Katie Webster and Albert King.[7]

She recorded her first song with Carey Bell on his album Son of a Gun in 1983.[8] Carroll went on to tour with Professor Eddie Lusk in Canada after performing on his album Professor Strut in 1989.[9] She went on to play in prominent Chicago blues clubs. In 1995, she contributed to an album with five other female blues artists, entitled Women of Blue Chicago;[10] which is still played on the radio today.[11]

She was offered a recording contract by Delmark Records in 1995, subsequently making the album Had My Fun.[12] This was followed by another album, Talk to the Hand, in 1997. She wrote and held copyright to some of the tracks on this album.[13]

She worked with many Chicago blues musicians, including Carey and Lurrie Bell, Rudy Rotta, Otis Grand, Angela Brown, Billy Branch, Melvin Taylor, Eddy Clearwater, Lonnie Brooks, Alvin Lee, Byther Smith and Sugar Blue.[14] Her album Be My Guest! was released by Indigoteam Records in 2008.[3]

The BBC Radio 2 blues programme, the "Paul Jones Show", played several of her tracks by way of an obituary during the 28 March 2016 edition. Carroll died on March 9, 2016, in Georgia, after several long illnesses.[1]

Solo discography

  • Had My Fun (Delmark, 1995)
  • Talk to the Hand (Delmark, 1997)
  • Live in Oleśnica (Stowarzyszenie Jazz Kanapie, 2007)[15]
  • Be My Guest! (Indigoteam, 2008)[16]
  • Evolution Revolution (Gryllus, 2009)[17]
  • Ghetto Love (unsigned, 2010)[18]
  • Karen Carroll's Blues Mix (unsigned, 2011)[19][20]

Collaboration with other artists

  • Son of a Gun (P-Vine, 1984)[21]
  • Professor Strut (Delmark, 1989)[22]
  • Gospel (Hot-Foks, 1990)[23]
  • Stock Yards Strut (Delmark, 1993)[24]
  • Chicago's Finest Blues Ladies (Wolf, 1993)[25]
  • Johnny B. Moore, Live at Blue Chicago (Blue Chicago, 1994)[26]
  • Red Hot Mamas (Blue Chicago, 1997)[27]
  • Delmark Records 45 Years of Jazz and Blues (Delmark, 1998)[28]
  • Delmark 50th Anniversary CD Collection (Delmark, 2003)[29]
  • Wild About That Thing: Ladies Sing the Blues (Delmark, 2003)[30]
  • First Class Blues (feat. Karen Carroll, Big Jay McNeely) (Acoustic Music Records, 2011)[31][32]

References

  1. ^ a b "Chicago Blues Guide". Chicagobluesguide.com. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
  2. ^ Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues - A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara: Praeger Publishers. p. 75. ISBN 978-0313344237.
  3. ^ a b c "Biography by Jason Ankeny". Allmusic.com. Retrieved July 16, 2011.
  4. ^ Helge Strauß. "Bluescontact – Jeanne Carroll". Bluescontact.de. Retrieved 2011-07-13.
  5. ^ Karen Carroll. "Biography - Karen Carroll". Reverbnation.com. Retrieved 2011-07-16.
  6. ^ "Bluescontact – Karen Carroll". Bluescontact.de. Retrieved 2011-07-16.
  7. ^ "Biography of Karen Carroll". Reverbnation.com. Retrieved 2011-07-16.
  8. ^ "thebluescollective: Lurrie Bell". Thebluescollective.blogspot.com. Archived from the original on 2012-07-19. Retrieved 2011-07-13.
  9. ^ "Eddie Lusk – Professor Strut". Delmark.com. Retrieved 2011-07-13.
  10. ^ "Women of Blue Chicago". Delmark.com. Retrieved 2011-07-13.
  11. ^ "Karen Carroll | Z100 – Z100 – New York's Hit Music Station". Z100. Retrieved 2011-07-13.
  12. ^ "Carroll "Had My Fun"". Delmark.com. Retrieved 2011-07-13.
  13. ^ "Karen Carroll – Talk to the Hand". Delmark.com. Retrieved 2011-07-13.
  14. ^ Helge Strauß (2010-05-08). "Bluescontact – Karen Carroll/vita". Bluescontact.de. Retrieved 2011-07-13.
  15. ^ "Jazzowy koniec roku i wspólne śpiewanie". Archived from the original on May 30, 2009. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
  16. ^ "Be My Guest! - Karen Carroll | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
  17. ^ "Evolution Revolution – Karen Carroll with the Mississippi GraveDiggers - Albums". Songs.hu. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
  18. ^ "The Karen Carroll Store". Reverbnation.com. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
  19. ^ "Karen Carroll's Blues Mix: Karen Carroll: MP3 Downloads". Amazon. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
  20. ^ "Bman's Blues Report: New Release: Karen Carroll's Blues Mix – review". Bmansbluesreport.com. 2011-11-28. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
  21. ^ "Carey Bell – Son of a Gun CD Album". Cduniverse.com. 2002-12-03. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
  22. ^ "Eddie Lusk – Professor Strut". Delmark.com. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
  23. ^ "Karen CarrollBruce Thompson – Gospel (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. 1990-01-01. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
  24. ^ "Stompers Stock Yard Strut". Delmark.com. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
  25. ^ "VA – Chicago's Finest Blues Ladies (1993) [Chicago Blues Session Vol. 28]". Avxhome.se. Retrieved 2013-10-04.[permanent dead link]
  26. ^ "Johnny B Moore – Live at Blue Chicago CD Album". Cduniverse.com. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
  27. ^ "Red Hot Mamas: Music". Amazon. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
  28. ^ "Delmark Records: 45 Years of Jazz and Blues: Music". Amazon. 1998. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
  29. ^ "Chicago's Avant Today: Delmark 50th Anniversary Collection CD Album". Cduniverse.com. 2003-08-05. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
  30. ^ "Woman Blues Music". Bizrate. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
  31. ^ "First Class Blues (feat. Karen Carroll, Big Jay McNeely): First Class Blues Band: MP3 Downloads". Amazon. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
  32. ^ "Karen CarrollBruce Thompson – Gospel (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. 1990-01-01. Retrieved 2012-04-08.