Timothea

Blues singer Timothea had no time for baby dolls, she grew up fast and was singing when others her age was preoccupied with acne and homework. Her childhood home was Westwego, LA a tough town near New Orleans on the Mississippi River. Easy to navigate, Westwego runs north and south and the avenues are named alphabetically from A through Z. Timothea spent a lot of time on Avenue A at her aunt's bar, where at the age of 10 she sang for change in front of the juke box. Her skills were recognized, and by the time she turned 12, she'd shared stages with experienced artists like Earl King, Irma Thomas, Aaron Neville, and Ernie K. Doe. She was 14 in 1966 when she cut her first single, "Teenage Prayer," on Virgel Records. Living in the fast lane, singing in clubs and all, she married twice and had two sons before her 18th birthday. A move to the West Coast put everything on hold, and after a fast start, Timothea didn't record again until 1981, when she returned to Louisiana. She cranked it up with three single releases: "Reach Out" (1981), "Mardi Gras Party" (1984), and "No Leftovers" (1985) -- all on Grand Marshall Records, and produced by Earl King. The local hits kept her busy, and she found steady work by teaming with Johnny Adams and Walter "Wolfman" Washington. In 1986, her songwriting skills blossomed when she collaborated with Washington on Rounder Records' Wolftracks. A second LP by Washington, Out of the Dark, emerged in 1987 and contained more Timothea/Washington songs. The pair called it quits after three years of recording and performing. Timothea trekked to New York City, worked the clubs, and occasionally sang abroad. During 1992 she made her first CD, Twisted Funky & Blue, Washington & the Roadmasters band backed her in the studio, along with the Po Boys. It was a jack-of-all-trades effort where she sang, wrote, and produced every track. In 1992, she returned to New Orleans a seasoned vet, and recorded Goin' Home to Ma Ma in 1994, which marked a new endeavor for Timothea: her own record label, Blue Soul Records. All her recent releases have been on Blue Soul, including From the School of Hard Knocks. The label has also released excellent products on guitarist Amedee Frederick (Creole Man), and Diane Lotny (Sweet and Tender Abuses). Andy Griggs of Real Blues magazine calls her "the undiscovered Queen of New Orleans music," others the "New Orleans Siren". Whatever the label, she's true to the genre, and has lived what she sings, which gives her recordings and performances realism. She packs 'em in at New Orleans clubs, and has appeared on television in New Orleans and abroad.