"DETROIT'S QUEEN OF THE BLUES"
AKA DETROIT'S FUNKY ROCKIN' BLUES DIVA
2023 BLUES MUSIC AWARD WINNER FOR SOUL/BLUES ARTIST FEMALE
WINNER OF OVER 30 DETROIT MUSIC AWARDS
9 TIME BMA NOMINEE INCULDING
2024 BMA NOMINEE SOUL/BLUES FEMALE
CASH APP $ThornettaD DETROIT’S QUEEN OF THE BLUES THORNETTA DAVIS
2023 BLUES MUSIC AWARD WINNER FOR SOUL/BLUES ARTIST FEMALE
2022 BMA NOMINEE CONTEMPORARY BLUES FEMAL
E, INSTRUMENTALIST VOCALS
2021 JUS’ BLUES FOUNDATION HONOREE- THE DENISE LASALLE RECORDING OF EXCELLENCE AWARD
2018 $25,000 KRESGE FELLOWSHIP RECIPIENT
International singer, songwriter, recording artist, was awarded by the Detroit Blues Society “Living Lifetime Achievement Award” and awarded a star on the Canada South Blues Museum “Walk of Fame”. In 2015 Thornetta was crowned “DETROIT’S QUEEN OF THE BLUES” in a ceremony by the Detroit Blues Society, with proclamations from the City of Detroit, County of Wayne and the State of Michigan. King, Ray Charles, Etta James, KoKo Taylor, Johnny Johnson, Bonnie Raitt and more. Thornetta is a 9 time Blues Foundation BLUES MUSIC AWARDS NOMINEE including a 2023 BMA nomination for Soul/Blues artist female. Thornetta received six 2018 DMA’s and has also won eight 2017 Detroit Music Awards for her latest album Honest Woman which include Outstanding Record Producer, Outstanding Blues Recording, Outstanding Blues Vocalist and Outstanding Live Performance. As winner of the 2017 Blues Blast Magazine Music Awards for “Best Soul/Blues Album, Big City Rhythm & Blues Magazine “Coolest Blues Song” Thornetta has garnered international attention by winning 2017 1st place in the INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION (ISC) for “Best Blues Song” (I BELIEVE EVERYTHING IS GONNA BE ALRIGHT) and also receiving the prestigious French 2018 La Academie du Jazz Award for “Best Blues Album” for HONEST WOMAN. Down Beat Magazine 2018 Monterey Jazz Fest performance review
“The follow-up at the Garden Stage on Saturday blew the crowd away. In her first time performing at Monterey, Detroit’s Queen of the Blues, Thornetta Davis, sang with no-nonsense sass, fearless in her missives against lovers, as she preached the Blues”
Monterey Jazz Festival Features Highly Charged Performances https://downbeat.com/?/news/detail/monterey-jazz-festival-features-highly
Blues Music Magazine, Editors Top Picks 2016 Art Tipaldi and Don Wilcox
Roots Music Reports, Duane Verh, “5 stars” Detroit Diva Thornetta Davis sets a very high bar for urban blues releases this young year…
Elmore Magazine, Jim Hynes “Thornetta is a Blues singer, Soul singer or Gospel singer it doesn’t matter She’s got it. She’s a Queen, and an honest woman.”
American Blues Scene Barry Kerzner “Honest Woman is what a great album is supposed to be”
Living Blues Magazine, David Whiteis “Davis conveys intense emotion without overkill…”
Blues Matters Magazine (United Kingdom) Davis tells compelling stories…inspirational vocals…
Soul Bag Magazine (France), Jacques Perin “A winning return!”
Blues Magazine (Netherlands) Walter Vanheuckelom “Honest Woman” is an excellent and varied album. THORNETTA DAVIS BAND INSTRUMENTATION
Carlton Washington - Guitar player
Phillip Hale - Organ and Piano player
David Marcaccio - Drummer
James C Anderson - Percussionist (Congas)
Joe Veloz - Bass
Roseann Matthews - BG Vocals
Rosemere Matthews- BG Vocals
JUST A FEW PAST PERFORMANCES
2023 SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE WITH TAYLOR MAC "A BARK OF MILLIONS" (Sydney, Australia)
2023 TELLURIDE CO BLUES FESTIVAL
2023 NANAIMO BLUES FEST. BC CANADA
2023 CONCERT OF COLORS @ THE DIA W/ DON WAS
2023 CELEBRATE BROOKLYN FEST W/ RICKY LEE JONES (NY, New York)
2023 UTAH BLUE FESTIVAL
2023 TELLURIDE BLUES FESTIVAL
2023 WASHINGTON LEE UNIVERSITY Master class and Concert (Lexington VA)
2023 LEGENDARY R&B CRUISE JANUARY 2023
2022 LEGENDARY R&B CRUISE (OCT)
2022 KING BISCUIT (Helena Arkansas)
2022 BLUES BENDER (Las Vegas)
2022 JAZZ SOUSLES POMMIERS (NORMANDY FRANCE)
2022 CHICAGO BLUES (Main stage)
2021 ALPENA BLUES FESTIVAL
MAIN STAGE 2021 ARTS BEATS EATS FESTIVAL
2021 NORTH ATLANTIC BLUES FESTIVAL ROCKLAND, MAINE
JANUARY 2020 Legendary R&B Cruise
CHICAGO BLUES FESTIVAL 2019
UMBRIA JAZZ IN TERNI ITALY 2019
COLUMBIA PIKE BLUES FEST - ARLINGTON VA JUNE 2019
MUSIC HAVEN’S SUMMER CONCERT IN SCHENECTADY, NY 2019
DETROIT JAZZ FESTIVAL 2019
ANN ARBOR BLUES FESTIVAL 2019
UMBRIA JAZZ FESTIVAL IN PERUGIA ITALY JULY 2019
GLOBAL FEST 2018 - BB KINGS , NY NEWYORK
LA ACADEMIE DU JAZZ AWARD -Paris,Fr
WHEATLAND MUSIC FEST 2018 Michigan
MONTEREY JAZZ FEST 2018 - Monterey California
LUGANO BLUES TO BOP FEST 2018 - Switzerland
WHITE MOUNTAIN BOOGIE BLUES FESTIVAL 2018
MONTREAL JAZZ FEST 2018 - Montreal,Ca
CURACAO BLUE SEAS FEST 2018 - Curaçao
SUNCOAST BLUES FEST 2018 - Sarsota Florida
BOOTHBAY OPERA HOUSE - Boothbay Maine
DAVID RUBINSTEIN ATRIUM AT THE LINCOLN CENTER - New York NY
KRESGE FELLOWS FILM
https://vimeo.com/323564058
Thornetta Davis
AM I JUST A SHADOW Video https://youtu.be/H_pFnxsyWzQ
2018 MONTREAL JAZZ FESTIVAL PERFORMANCE
Thornetta Davis LIVEX2! DETROIT BLUES QUEEN Montreal JAZZ Festival Canada 2018 https://youtu.be/XQ88kToEkVs
PBS TV PERFORMANCE with Alexander Zonjic’s band
Thornetta Davis | 2016 Detroit Performs Live
https://youtu.be/F8COv6EXskY
Spotify Https://open.spotify.com/user/12128867257/playlist/2HTYjUkLbBI7DHTDmrnfFJ
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DETROITQUEENOFTHEBLUES/
Twitter https://twitter.com/THORNETTAD
THORNETTA DAVIS INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/sweetmamatd/
I BELIEVE EVERYTHING GONNA BE ALRIGHT
https://youtu.be/LXbY3O8X36Q
[email protected]
www.ThornettaDavis.com
T H O R N E T T A D A V I S (OLD BIO)
For over 30 this multi-talented native Detroiter has graced and dominated Michigan's most attended events. She has performed over two hundred shows a year with grace and stamina. Her voice is strong, commanding, melodic and smooth. She tells her stories with incredible delivery and leaves her audiences wanting more. She first gained attention in 1987 when she became back up singer for the Detroit soul band "Lamont Zodiac and The Love Signs". Shortly after, the lead singer left the band and the name changed to "The Chisel Brothers featuring Thornetta Davis". In 1996 Thornetta recorded her first solo album "Sunday Morning Music" with former members of Detroit Rock band Big Chief on the Seattle based label "Sub Pop" which received a rave r***e in the national Entertainment Weekly magazine. The song "Cry" from that album was featured on the HBO hit cable drama "The Sopranos". Thornetta has opened for legendary blues and R&B greats such as B.B. King, Gladys Knight, Smokey Robinson, Etta James, Buddy Guy, Koko Taylor, Junior Wells, Lonnie Brooks, Johnnie Johnson, Betty LaVette, Keb Mo', and Ray Charles requested Thornetta as the opening act for his last performance at Detroit's Music Hall. Her history is extensive and her performances are memorable…like the time she opened for Bonnie Raitt at Michigan's Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz festival in 1992. Bonnie asked Thornetta to join her and Katie Webster (queen of the swamp boogie) for an encore song which received a standing ovation. In 1999 Thornetta brought down the house with her astounding performance at the "Lillith Fair" at Michigan's Pine K**b Music Theatre hosted by Sarah McLachlan…that same evening she attended the "Detroit Music Awards" where she proudly accepted 2 of the over 30 Music Awards that she has won over the last 30 years for "Best R&B/ Blues vocalist" and "Best R&B Group". In 2000 Thornetta opened the VH1 Vogue fashion awards at Madison Square Garden with Detroit phenomenon Kid Rock. New York's star-studded event captured Detroit's "Princess of the Blues" in all her glory! In 2001 Thornetta Davis is inducted into the Detroit Music Hall of Fame! Thornetta performed on Wednesday nights for 7 years at one of Detroit's favorite live music venues "The Music Menu" located in Greektown in downtown Detroit until it's closing in 2003. Three years before that final Wednesday, Thornetta recorded a live performance on one magical night at the "Menu" and called it "Thornetta Davis covered Live at the Music Menu". This CD is a collection of Thornetta's most requested cover tunes. The magic comes through and touches you and makes you feel like you're right there watching her as she takes you on a spiritual journey to the depths of her soul. "Thornetta Davis covered Live at the Music Menu" won "Best R&B/ Blues Recording" at the Detroit Music Awards 2002. In 2006 Detroit's "Princess of the Blues" appeared again with Kid Rock during the Super Bowl week on "Jimmie Kimmel Live". In 2007 Thornetta performed with Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band and took a bit out of the "Big Apple" on "The View" and "The David Letterman Show". Thornetta has electrified audiences world wide with tours to Italy, Blues festivals in Tunisia North Africa, Lucerne Switzerland, Sweden, Paris France, Ottawa Canada, Nottoden Norway and the Chicago Blues Festival to name a few. Here's a few of Thornetta's other accomplishments
In 2012 Thornetta was asked to perform in an AMERICAN MUSIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION production of a documentary film on Blues recording artist and recipient of the John D. MacArthur Foundation Fellowship Award, Corey Harris. Soon to be released on PBS television. Thornetta was inducted in the Canada South Blues Museum in January 2012
Thornetta has won over twenty five "DETROIT MUSIC AWARDS" including 2011
"BEST BLUES/R&B VOCALIST"
Thornetta Davis is featured in the June/July "Powerful Women Play the Blues" and the Nov/Dec 2010 issues of one of the most popular Blues magazines in the world Blues R***e. Thornetta Davis has appeared on the covers of Living Blues and Big City Blues Magazine. Thornetta has also performed background vocals for artists such as Bob Seger on his album
"The Fire Inside"
and also performed on Bob Seger's 2007 release "Face the Promise"
The Little Steven VanZandt produced U.S. debut of Nigerian reggae artist Majek Fashek, on "Spirit of Love"
Sub pop recording artist "alternative rock band "Big Chief" on the album
"Mack Avenue Scull Game"
Thornetta has performed background on Kid Rock his self titled 2003 CD "KID ROCK" and also
Kid Rock's 2007 triple platinum album "Rock and Roll Jesus"
Thornetta performed on MTV with Kid Rock at the President Obama's Inaugural Ball
Thornetta also performed on the sound track for the film "Osmosis Jones" starring Bill Murray. Her powerful singing voice has been heard on the hit television show "Xena Warrior Princess". Her Cadillac commercial aired for the first time during the 2001 Academy Awards
Thornetta was also chosen to represent the DETROIT PISTONS 2001-2002
2009 "DETROIT BLACK MUSIC AWARDS" BEST FEMALE BLUES ARTIST
If you're from Michigan you are sure to have seen Thornetta in the Michigan State Lottery commercials. Coca-Cola selected Thornetta to revive the late 1960's "I'd Like to teach the world to sing" commercial. Pizza Hut loved our blues diva enough to "twist and dip"
and even the "Hamburger Helper makes everything better" national radio campaign loved our Detroit's blues Princess
Thornetta has left her fans standing on the their feet and wanting more and she's ready to come to your town. So we would like to introduce to you in all her splendor a Detroit talent as original as her name…
T h o r n e t t a
Name pronunciation
No name pronunciation to show
Other names
Thornetta Davis-Anderson
