Continuing the legacy of blues divas Etta James and Bessie Smith, to say nothing of her late father, Texas bluesman Johnny Copeland, Shemekia Copeland is far from just a powerhouse brassy blues singer-songwriter. The stirring, genre-bending music featured on the 39-year-old’s eighth release, America’s Child, is a bluesy, soul-fired blend of Americana, folk, and rock.
By Doug Rule. Shemekia made it into Metro Weekly’s “Editor’s Picks” before her show at The Hamilton, in D.C., on Friday, October 5.