{{short description|American blues singer and songwriter (born 1957)}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Diunna Greenleaf | image = | caption = | image_size = | birth_name = Diunna Fay Greenleaf | alias = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1957|10|6}}<ref name="Ancestry">{{cite web|url=http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?rank=1&new=1&MSAV=0&msT=1&gss=angs-c&gsfn=diunna&gsln=greenleaf&sbo=1&uidh=jq5&pcat=34&h=7156065&db=TXbirthindex&indiv=1&ml_rpos=1 |title=Ancestry.co.uk |publisher=Search.ancestry.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2014-05-17}} {{subscription required}}</ref> | birth_place = Houston, Texas, United States<ref name="Diunna"/> | death_date = | death_place = | instrument = Vocals | genre = Texas blues | occupation = Singer, songwriter | years_active = Late 1990s-present | label = Little Village Foundation, CD Baby | website = {{URL|diunna.com/}} }}
'''Diunna Greenleaf''' (born October 6, 1957)<ref name="Ancestry"/> is an American blues singer and songwriter.
At the 2014 Blues Music Awards, Greenleaf won the Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female), beating fellow nominees Teeny Tucker, Lavelle White, Trudy Lynn, and Zora Young.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blues.about.com/od/bluesawards/a/2014-Blues-Music-Awards.htm |title=2014 Blues Music Awards Nominees and Winners |publisher=Blues.about.com |date= |accessdate=2014-05-17 |archive-date=2016-11-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161112120258/http://blues.about.com/od/bluesawards/a/2014-Blues-Music-Awards.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Life and career== '''Diunna Fay Greenleaf''' was born in Houston, Texas, United States.<ref name="Ancestry"/> Her parents, Ben and Mary Ella Greenleaf (née Travis), were religiously devout and involved in gospel music.<ref name="Down"/> Her early musical influences included Sam Cooke, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Koko Taylor, and Aretha Franklin.<ref name="Diunna"/> Before her musical career, Greenleaf obtained a degree in Mass Communications at the Prairie View A&M University.<ref name="Ancestry"/><ref name="Down">{{cite book | first= Charles Roger | last= Wood | year= 2003 | title= Down in Houston: Bayou City Blues | edition= 19th | publisher= University of Texas Press | location= Austin, Texas | page= 245 | isbn= 0-292-79159-3}}</ref>
Greenleaf and her backing band, Blue Mercy, have performed on the international stage for a number of years.<ref name="Diunna"/> In 2005, they took part and triumphed at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee.<ref name="Toro">{{cite web|url=http://deltoroblues.wordpress.com/about/ |title=About Jonn 'Del Toro' Richardson – The Texas Bull |publisher=Deltoroblues.wordpress.com |date= |accessdate=2014-05-17}}</ref>
She was President of the Houston Blues Society for three years, becoming the first woman to undertake that role. Greenleaf initiated the now annual Houston Blues Society Founders Day, and continues to support the Blues in Schools Program. She was also one of the founders of the Friends of Blues Montgomery County.<ref name="Diunna"/>
She performed as a backing vocalist for Pinetop Perkins, on his segment of the Grammy Award winning album, ''Last of the Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen: Live in Dallas'' (2007).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/last-of-the-great-mississippi-delta-bluesmen-live-in-dallas-r1096268/charts-awards |title=Last of the Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen: Live in Dallas |publisher=AllMusic |accessdate=2012-05-20}}</ref> The same year Greenleaf and Blue Mercy issued their debut studio album, ''Cotton Field to Coffee House''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pastblues.com/view-action-89.html?en=Diunna+Greenleaf |title=PastBlues Your blues |publisher=Pastblues.com |date= |accessdate=2014-05-17}}</ref>
In 2008 at the Blues Music Awards, Greenleaf won the 'Best New Artist Debut' award for ''Cotton Field to Coffee House''.<ref name="Toro"/> At the same ceremony the following year, she was nominated for the 'Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female)'. In 2012, Greenleaf was nominated again for the 'Koko Taylor Award', and in the 'Traditional Blues Album' category for ''Trying to Hold On''.<ref name="Diunna">{{cite web|url=http://www.diunna.com/ |title=Diunna Greenleaf – Diunna Greenleaf and Blue Mercy |publisher=Diunna.com |date= |accessdate=2014-05-17}}</ref> The album included fourteen songs, of which Greenleaf wrote ten and co-wrote another. The album was recorded in Tempe, Arizona.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.acousticmusic.com/fame/p07441.htm |title=FAME Review: Diunna Greenleaf – Trying To Hold On |publisher=Acousticmusic.com |date= |accessdate=2014-05-17}}</ref>
Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne's ''Rollin' with the Blues Boss'' (2014), included guest vocal contributions from Greenleaf and Eric Bibb.<ref>{{cite web|author=Steve Leggett |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/rollin-with-the-blues-boss-mw0002629844 |title=Rollin' with the Blues Boss – Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |publisher=AllMusic |date=2014-04-22 |accessdate=2014-05-16}}</ref> Greenleaf also appeared as a guest singer on Japanese jump blues band Bloodest Saxophone's ''Texas Queens 5'' released by Dialtone Records in 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/texas-queens-5-mw0003239263 |title=Texas Queens 5 – Bloodest Saxophone | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |publisher=AllMusic |accessdate=2022-06-06}}</ref>
==Festivals== Greenleaf has performed at many music festivals. These include the Blues to Bop Festival in Lugano, Switzerland, the Montreal International Jazz Festival (2009),<ref name="Mont">{{cite web |url=http://www.montrealjazzfest.com/artists/artist.aspx?id=7045 |title=Artist : Diunna Greenleaf – Festival International de Jazz de Montréal |publisher=Montrealjazzfest.com |date= |accessdate=2014-05-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140503225432/http://www.montrealjazzfest.com/artists/artist.aspx?id=7045 |archive-date=2014-05-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref> the Bern Jazz Festival,<ref name="Diunna"/> the Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival (2007),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.earlyblues.com/down_the_dirt_road5.htm |title=Down the Dirt Road Part 5 |publisher=Earlyblues.com |date= |accessdate=2014-05-17}}</ref> Boundary Waters Blues Festival, Sarasota Blues Fest (2008), Notodden Blues Festival (2008), Long Beach Blues Festival (2009), the DC Blues Festival (2010),<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=http://inabluemood.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/diunna-greenleaf-rocked-dc-blues.html |title=In a Blue Mood: Diunna Greenleaf Rocked the DC Blues Festival |publisher=Inabluemood.blogspot.co.uk |date=2010-09-06 |accessdate=2014-05-17}}</ref> the Tinner Hill Blues Festival (2012),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thestatetheatre.com/events/e1540.xml |title=Welcome to The State Theatre |publisher=Thestatetheatre.com |date= |accessdate=2014-05-17}}</ref> the Bikes Blues and BBQ (2014),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bbqbluesfest.com/music.asp|title=Motorcycle event | Blues Festival | Elizabethtown, Kentucky|publisher=Bbqbluesfest.com|accessdate=2014-05-17|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20140516163500/http://bbqbluesfest.com/music.asp|archivedate=2014-05-16}}</ref> and the Houston Blues and Jazz Festival (2022).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://houston.culturemap.com/eventdetail/houston-blues-jazz-festival-2022/|title=Houston Blues & Jazz Festival|date=18 September 2022|website=Houston.culturemap.com|accessdate=2022-09-25}}</ref>
==Discography== ===Albums=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year || Title || Record label || Credits |- | 2004 || ''Crazy But Live in Houston''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/diunnagreenleaf1 |title=Diunna Greenleaf & Blue Mercy | "Crazy" But Live in Houston |publisher=Cdbaby.com |date= |accessdate=2014-05-17}}</ref> || style="text-align:center;"|CD Baby || Diunna Greenleaf and Blue Mercy |- | 2007 || ''Cotton Field to Coffee House''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/cotton-field-to-coffee-house-mw0002365635/releases |title=Cotton Field to Coffee House – Blue Mercy,Diunna Greenleaf |publisher=AllMusic |date= |accessdate=2014-05-17}}</ref> || style="text-align:center;"|CD Baby || Diunna Greenleaf and Blue Mercy |- | 2011 || ''Trying to Hold On''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/trying-to-hold-on-mw0002351906 |title=Trying to Hold On – Diunna Greenleaf | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |publisher=AllMusic |date= |accessdate=2014-05-17}}</ref> || style="text-align:center;"| CD Baby || Diunna Greenleaf |- | 2022 || ''I Ain't Playin'''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://littlevillagefoundation.com/diunna-greenleaf/ |title=I Ain't Playin' – Diunna Greenleaf |publisher=Little Village Foundation |date= 19 May 2022|accessdate=2022-06-06}}</ref> || style="text-align:center;"| Little Village Foundation || Diunna Greenleaf |}
==See also== *List of Texas blues musicians *List of blues musicians
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.diunna.com/ Official website] *[https://www.soulexpress.net/diunnagreenleaf.htm A full feature on Diunna with an interview in Soul Express]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Greenleaf, Diunna}} Category:1957 births Category:Living people Category:American blues singers Category:Texas blues musicians Category:20th-century African-American women singers Category:20th-century American women singers Category:20th-century American singers Category:Singers from Houston Category:Songwriters from Texas Category:African-American songwriters Category:21st-century African-American musicians Category:21st-century African-American women