Trudy Lynn | |
---|---|
Birth name | Lee Audrey Nelms |
Born |
Houston, Texas, United States |
August 9, 1947
Genres | Electric blues, soul blues, soul, R&B |
Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
Instruments | Vocals |
Years active | Mid 1960s–present |
Labels | Ichiban, Ruf, Jus Blues, Isabel, Sawdust Alley, Connor Ray Music |
Trudy Lynn (born August 9, 1947) is an American electric blues and soul blues singer and songwriter, whose recorded work has been released on nine albums.
The Allmusic journalist, Alex Henderson, noted that "Lynn isn't one to hold back emotionally; like Koko Taylor and Etta James, she screams, shouts, testifies and gets her points across in a highly convincing way".
She was born Lee Audrey Nelms in the Fifth Ward, Houston, Texas, United States.
Her professional singing career began in the mid-1960s, when she sang with the guitarist Albert Collins and then later, Clarence Green. Use of her stage name of Trudy Lynn was in place when she performed with the Rhythmaires in the late 1960s. Her early work was in the rhythm and blues genre, and she once opened for Ike & Tina Turner. In the 1970s, Lynn expanded her performing base from clubs in Houston, to regional work and then overseas.
Lynn's recording career did not start until 1989, when Ichiban Records released the first of five albums she recorded for them. Her debut, Trudy Sings the Blues, included her cover version of "Ball 'n' Chain". It reached No. 76 in the US Billboard R&B albums chart. The following year, Come to Mama also peaked at No. 76 in the same chart. A mixture of southern soul and blues, her early albums were produced by Buzz Amato. Her 1999 release, U Don't Know What Time It Is, issued by Ruf Records, was short of double entendres in the lyrics, which had been a trademark up to that time. The album included keyboards input from Lucky Peterson, with Bernard Allison on guitar. Her live album, Blues Power: Trudy's Blues (2004), had guitar work by Carl Weathersby.