Denise LaSalle's journey took her from rural Mississippi to an unquestioned reign as the queen of soul-blues.
From her early R&B classics to bold and bawdy demands for satisfaction, LaSalle updated the classic blueswoman's stance of powerful independence while her earthy lyrics about relationships connected with generations of female fans.
Off-stage, she enjoyed ongoing success as a record label owner, entrepreneur, and genre-crossing songwriter.
As honest and no-nonsense as the artist herself, Always the Queen is LaSalle's in-her-own-words story of a lifetime in music.
Moving to Chicago as a teen, LaSalle launched a career in gospel and blues that eventually led to the chart-topping 1971 smash Trapped by a Thing Called Love and a string of R&B hits.
She reinvented herself as a soul-blues artist as tastes changed and became a headliner on the revitalized southern soul circuit and at festivals nationwide and overseas.
Revered for a tireless dedication to her music and fans, LaSalle continued to tour and record until shortly before her death.
About author(s): Denise LaSalle (1934-2018) was a soul and blues singer-songwriter and businesswoman.
Her songs include Trapped by a Thing Called Love, Married, but Not to Each Other, and the modern-day soul-blues standards A Lady in the Street, Don't Jump My Pony, and Someone Else Is Steppin' In.
LaSalle entered the Blues Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2015.
David Whiteis is a journalist, writer, and educator living in Chicago.
His books include Blues Legacy: Tradition and Innovation in Chicago and Southern Soul-Blues .
| Author(s) | Denise |
|---|---|
| Legacy | Tradition and |
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