candye's son evan is the drummer, on guitar the amazing laura devil baby chavez, on bass the legendary Paul Loranger, on piano smedley B or sue palmer or whomever else I can convince to get in the van and drive!!! I am blessed to be surrounded by creative and wonderful people whom I love! My band is my family.
Influences
etta james, wanda jackson, big maybelle, dinah washington, the cramps, patsy cline, exene cervenka, divine, big mama thornton, koko taylor, janis martin, kitty wells, sister rosetta tharpe, eartha kitt, sophie tucker, mae west, mahalia, bessie smith, janis joplin, little esther, bobbi brat, elton britt, lou ann barton, willie dixon, memphis minnie, led zeppelin, heart, zz top...
Sounds Like
etta james, big mama thornton, mildred bailey, big maybelle, koko taylor, janis joplin, billie holliday, dinah washington and patsy cline.
“The Toughest Girl Alive” is the name of Candye's original song and the title of her soon to be released memoir and stage play. It is also an apt description of the jump blues singer and songwriter from East Los Angeles who has earned this moniker the hard way. Nominated for a 2008 National Blues Foundation Award for Best Blues Contemporary Female (the highest honor for blues artists) and beating down pancreatic cancer the same year, Kane is one tough cookie. She has performed worldwide for presidents and movie stars, but her path to success was not always glamorous or easy.
Raised in a dysfunctional, blue-collar family, Candye became a teenage mother, a pin up cover girl and a punk rock, hillbilly and blues-belting anarchist by the time she was just 21 years old. Eight cds, six record labels, millions of international road miles and countless awards later, Miss Kane has proven to be a true survivor as she scrambled her way to the top of the roots music heap, creating a world renowned reputation that has spanned two decades.
A colorful mixture of the traditional and the eclectic, Kane cut her musical teeth in the early 80’s onstage with Hollywood musicians and friends, Social Distortion, Dwight Yoakum, Dave Alvin, The Blasters, X, Fear and Los Lobos, to name just a few. While raising two sons, this role model for the disenfranchised, championed large sized women, fought for the equal rights of sex workers and the GLBT community and inspired music lovers everywhere. Her fans are a mixture of true outsiders: bikers, blues fans, punk rockers, drag queens, fat girls, queers, burlesque dancers, porn fans, sex workers, rockabilly and swing dancers, grey haired hippies, sex positive feminists and everyday folk of all ages, flock to see Candye and hear her musical messages of love, hope and empowerment.
Kanes’ live shows are the stuff of legend. She honors the bold blues women of the past with both feet firmly planted in the present. She belts - growls - shouts - croons and moans from a lifetime of suffering and overcoming obstacles. She uses music as therapy and often writes and chooses material with positive affirmations that leave the audience feeling healed and exhilarated. A show that is part humor, revival meeting and sexuality celebration, she'll deliver a barrelhouse-tongue-in-cheek blues tune or a gospel ballad like Jesus and Mohammed, encouraging audiences to leave behind religious intolerance. She’ll slay the crowd with her balls out rendition of Whole Lotta Love or glorify the virtues of zaftig women with 200 pounds of fun. She often says she is a "fat black drag queen trapped in a white woman's body" and she dresses the part. Bedecked in bright colored feathers, sequins and rhinestones, Kane's performance is Mississippi by way of Las Vegas with a quick stopover in San Francisco.
Kane's ninth cd for premiere West Coast blues label, Delta Groove will be released on June 15th. Produced by Kane and Laura Chavez, it is aptly titled " I'm a Super Hero." The cd features her smoking live band that including Kanes’ eldest son, Evan Caleb on drums and bass veteran, Paul Loranger along with guest drummer Stephen Hodges, guitarists Dave Gonzales and Kid Ramos as well as harp player Mitch Kashmar, saxophonist Jonny Viau and pianist Greg Wydell. This newest effort is chock full of the songs of triumph and raw emotion that have made Kane a favorite with enlightened congregations everywhere. www.deltagrooveproductions.com
Candye has been included in countless Blues and Jazz Anthologies including the Rolling Stone and Musichounds Guide to Jazz and Blues and Dan Akroyds’ 30 Essential Women of the Blues. In addition to her music successes, she is an activist and philanthropist. In August 2008, she appeared in Cape Town, South Africa for the World Congress for people with disabilities with her United by Music show for special needs kids (www.unitedbymusic.eu). This project provides performance opportunities, blues history lessons and songwriting instruction to young people with disabilities, encouraging them to write their own blues songs to help them overcome their daily challenges. Kane will take the UBM project on the road again in august 2009 starting off at the world congress for people with disabilities, this time held in Dublin, Ireland.
Candye is a fighter par excellence and her authenticity, determination and optimism are what keep her shows passionate, honest and irresistible. One evening with Candye will keep the crowds happy, hopeful and coming back for more!
Join the jubilation by booking a Candye Kane shindig today!
For Bookings: steve@piedmonttalent.com
www.piedmonttalent.com
PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT CANDYE!!!!!
An Older and Wiser blues diva
– All Music guide
A Blues Diva of the 20th century who can liven up any party without shedding a stitch.
- People Magazine
A serious and seriously powerful singer who lays it all on the line
– The Philadelphia Inquirer
Candye Kane has that big, brassy voice that has authority and sass; the kind of thing men like because its seductive and women like because its powerful – BB King to the San Diego Reader
A voice that is a natural wonder – like the Grand Canyon.
- The Washington Post
This tough cookie wails with a rousing confidence and affirmation of identity and the courage of her convictions
– Downbeat Magazine
Candye Kane may identify as a white trash girl but her music is most certainly high class
– Jazz and Blues report
A smart sassy blues diva mama with a powerhouse voice and a generous frame
– Style Weekly
Bawdy, brassy and gloriously omnisexual, the plus sized singer belts out the blues like nobodys business
– Dallas Voice
Kanes sassy singing is a joy to behold
– Montreal Gazette
The Most powerful and entertaining female blues singer of her generation
– Bluesbytes.com
A natural born, supremely gifted vocalist who can sing her humanity while touching ours
– Illinois Blues.com
thanks for the add!! i really enjoyed your show at the Zoo bar. it's great to see and meet someone who is full of life thanks for all the encouraging words that night. hope our paths cross another time while we are on tour. by the way wasn't the sushi bar in lincoln nebraska wasabi robi awesome!! well, take care. Best of luck on the rest of your tour. we wont kick off ours till the 30th of december.
My Dear candye kane, I want you to know that your music and your songs are my passion. I am addicted. There is something that pulls me towards them. Di PS:Follow Me Twitter at http://twitter.com/iaent
Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday dear Candye!!!!! Happy Birthday to you!!!! From Phil (the guy that meet you at the Iron Horse in Northampton last time you played there)
What the heck? Woman, I apologize...I thought your show in NYC was in November ~ blonde moment! I am SO sorry I missed you. I had my hands full that day with a gig and with Lance. Love, love, love to you and enjoy Florida. Aces is awesome!
Dear Candye, Everybody from United By Music would like to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you! We hope that you have a very nice day full of friends, love and gifts. You always give us so much when you come over to Holland for another United By Music tour. We all miss you. HARTELIJK GEFELICITEERD LIEVERD!
Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy! Cake for everyone HAPPY BIRTHDAY CANDYE! I wish I could join the party but there is a ocean between us so: big hug and kisses from Holland. Please say everybody hello from me. (and a Jack D for Laura)
big happy birthday greetings from my family and me. We wish that you'll have a big party tonight with sweet people. Surely you'll have!!! Big kisses and hugs Horst
Hello Sweet Heart, You are a great mensch, one of the finest that i've met. I wish you a fantastic day, and night!, plus a wonderful year with lots of blessings and real fun! Hope to see you again when you are in the hood. Love, Jort.
Ciao,candye Thank you for the add and the friendship. you are very good, I like your stupendous music a lot, Band, and stupendous voice. compliments ..really. you are one of my prefeitis, I feel great admiration for you, be really one whom is worth rather a lot! I hope to listen soon to you, in italy .. talk to you soon, and all of my best wishes to always listen to your good music all the best.. from italy.. and good life.. every day neal
Girl, you've got more talent in your right tit than all those skinny ass "Divas" that pass for singers these days Thanks for letting me be your friend!
