{{Short description|American singer and songwriter}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Demetria Taylor | image = | caption = | image_size = | birth_name = Demetria M. Taylor | alias = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1973|02|28}} | birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | instrument = Vocals | genre = Chicago blues, electric blues | occupation = Singer, songwriter | years_active = 2000s–present | label = Delmark | website = }}
'''Demetria M. Taylor''' (born February 28, 1973) is an American Chicago blues singer and songwriter.<ref name="Highres">{{Cite web|url=https://www.highresaudio.com/en/en/artist/view/1f378f5c-dac8-47dc-bd78-3e6c5afa34ac/demetria-taylor|title=Demetria Taylor|website=Highresaudio.com|access-date=November 16, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Bad">{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/bad-girl-mw0002137822|title=Demetria Taylor - Bad Girl Album Reviews, Songs & More |website=AllMusic|access-date=November 16, 2022}}</ref><ref name="BARE"/> Her father was Eddie Taylor, a fellow Chicago blues musician. Her step-brother Larry Taylor is a blues drummer and vocalist, and her brother Eddie Taylor Jr. was also a Chicago blues musician prior to his death in 2019, at the age of 46. Taylor's mother, Vera (Leevera), was the niece of the bluesmen Eddie "Guitar" Burns and Jimmy Burns, and maintained an intermittent career as a singer until her death in 1999.<ref name="BARE">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6ZNfAQAAQBAJ&q=%22Eddie+Taylor+Jr.%22.+%22Blues%22&pg=PA76|title=Blues: A Regional Experience|first1=Bob L.|last1=Eagle|first2=Eric S.|last2=LeBlanc|date=May 1, 2013|page=76|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=9780313344244|access-date=March 8, 2019|via=Google Books}}</ref>
Taylor has released two albums on Delmark Records, albeit over 11 years apart.
==Life and career== She was born in Chicago, Illinois, as the seventh child out of eight in a musical family.<ref name="Highres"/><ref name="BARE"/> She began playing drums at the age of 14, mentored by her older brothers Larry and Tim, who were both professional blues drummers. She played in family shows across Chicago, which included her guitar playing brother Eddie Taylor Jr. She also sang in the gospel choir at Trinity All Nations Church on Chicago's South Side.<ref name="Chicago"/> Her influences were Etta James, Bessie Smith, Big Mama Thornton, and the unrelated Koko Taylor.<ref name="Highres"/> When she commenced performing professionally, Taylor noted, "It was fun for me when I first started at Buddy Guy's, opening for Billy Branch and Jimmy Johnson".<ref name="Blues"/> She went on tour both nationally at first and then overseas.<ref name="Chicago"/>
Her debut album, ''Bad Girl'', was released on May 17, 2011 on Delmark Records.<ref name="Bad"/><ref name="Chicago"/> The album incorporated musical work from Billy Branch, Eddie Shaw, Big Time Sarah, Eddie Taylor Jr., plus Shun Kikuta, Roosevelt Purifoy, Greg McDaniel and Pookie Styx. ''Bad Girl'' had eleven tracks including "I'm A Woman/Hoochie Coochie Woman", "All Your Love"<!-- This is the Magic Sam song, not the similarly titled one by Otis Rush -->, "Big Boss Man", and a duet with Big Time Sarah on "Wang Dang Doodle".<ref name="Delmark">{{Cite web|url=https://delmark.com/product/814/|title=Demetria Taylor - Bad Girl|date=25 June 2018|website=Delmark.com|access-date=November 16, 2022}}</ref> Taylor was nominated in the 2012 Blues Music Awards in the 'Best New Debut Artist' category.<ref name="Chicago"/> She has since performed at numerous venues and music festivals, including appearing at the Chicago Blues Festival. Taylor explained her philosophy, "I put God first and everything else will work out. I feel that singing is something I was born to do. Sometimes on the stage my eyes tear up as I feel the music I'm singing".<ref name="Chicago">{{Cite web|url=https://www.bluechicago.com/demetria-taylor|title=Blue Chicago I Demetria Taylor I Featuring the Best of Chicago Blues Music |website=Bluechicago.com|access-date=November 16, 2022}}</ref>
Her sophomore album was some time in its making. It was recorded in Chicago, at Delmark's Riverside Studio, between 2019 and 2022. ''Doin' What I'm Supposed to Do'' was released on Delmark Records on August 19, 2022.<ref name="Mark2"/> The songs on the album were written by members of her family, some by fellow musicians Mike Wheeler and Larry Williams, one by Magic Sam, plus a couple of numbers penned by Taylor herself.<ref name="Blues">{{Cite web|url=https://blues.gr/m/blogpost?id=1982923:BlogPost:487611|title=Q&A with Chicago blues singer Demetria Taylor -the daughter of Eddie Taylor- traditional blues and modern R&B |website=Blues.gr|access-date=November 16, 2022}}</ref> Lead guitar duties were shared between Mike Wheeler, Billy Flynn and Carlos Showers, with the album produced jointly by Julia A. Miller and Elbio Barilari.<ref name="Highways">{{Cite web|url=https://americanahighways.org/2022/08/23/review-demetria-taylor-doin-what-im-supposed-to-do/|title=REVIEW: Demetria Taylor "Doin' What I'm Supposed To Do" • Americana Highways|first=John|last=Apice|date=August 23, 2022|website=Americanahighways.org|access-date=November 16, 2022}}</ref> A guest appearance came from Deitra Farr who sang on one of the album's tracks, "Blues Early This Morning", which was written by Demetria's mother, Vera Taylor. Whereas Billy Flynn played guitar on the aforementioned song, as well as on "(Wreck On) Highway 83", written by Demetria's father, Eddie Taylor.<ref name="Mark2"/> The 52-minute CD, ''Doin' What I'm Supposed To Do'', had a record release party held at Space in Evanston, Illinois, on August 22, 2022.<ref name="Scene">{{Cite web|url=https://www.americanbluesscene.com/2022/07/demetria-taylor-is-doin-what-im-supposed-to-do-on-new-album/|title=Demetria Taylor is 'Doin' What I'm Supposed to Do' on new album|website=Americanbluesscene.com|date=July 25, 2022|access-date=November 16, 2022}}</ref>
Taylor was the new recipient of the Koko Taylor 'Queen of the Blues' Award in 2022, given by the Jus' Blues Foundation.<ref name="Mark2">{{Cite web|url=https://delmark.com/2022/08/new-blues-release-and-cd-party-for-demetria-taylor-with-the-mike-wheeler-band/|title=NEW BLUES RELEASE and CD Party for DEMETRIA TAYLOR with The MIKE WHEELER BAND|first=Kevin|last=Johnson|date=4 August 2022|website=Delmark.com|access-date=November 16, 2022}}</ref> She received the award during a ceremony at the Bluesville Music Hall in Tunica, Mississippi.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.americanbluesscene.com/2022/08/demetria-taylor-receives-koko-taylor-queen-of-the-blues-award-today/|title=Demetria Taylor Receives "KoKo Taylor Queen of the Blues" Award Today|website=Americanbluesscene.com|date=August 4, 2022|access-date=November 16, 2022}}</ref>
Taylor is married with eight children.<ref name="Chicago"/>
==Discography== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year || Title || Record label |- | 2011 || ''Bad Girl'' || style="text-align:center;"| Delmark Records |- | 2022 || ''Doin' What I'm Supposed to Do'' || style="text-align:center;"| Delmark Records |- |}<ref name="Albums">{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/demetria-taylor-mn0002683625|title=Demetria Taylor Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More|website=AllMusic|access-date=November 16, 2022}}</ref>
==See also== *List of Chicago blues musicians *List of electric blues musicians
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Demetria}} Category:1973 births Category:Living people Category:American blues singers Category:Chicago blues musicians Category:Singers from Chicago Category:Songwriters from Illinois Category:Electric blues musicians Category:African-American women songwriters Category:21st-century African-American women singers Category:21st-century American women singers Category:Delmark Records artists