DEMETRIA TAYLOR @ BLUE CHICAGO, Chicago, IL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUJAS5XKCIou0026t=6s
https://www.bluechicago.com/demetria-taylor | |
DEMETRIA TAYLOR | Demetria Taylor has been performing at BLUE CHICAGO since 2010. She is the seventh child of eight from the family of the late blues legend Eddie Taylor Sr. and is helping keep the legacy of her father alive. Eddie is best known as the rhythm guitarist in the band of Jimmy Reed but he also had his own solo career and recorded some wonderful sides for the VJ label including the classic “Bad Boy”. Her mother Vera Taylor was also a blues singer. Demetria has fond memories of blues greats and friends of the family coming by the house– including Floyd Jones, Carey Bell, Sunnyland Slim, Johnny Littlejohn, Sam Lay, Willie Kent, Tail Dragger, Eddie Shaw, Johnny B. Moore and Magic Slim. Born in Chicago, Demetria grew up surrounded by Blues music listening on records to her biggest influences including Etta James, Bessie Smith, Big Mama Thornton and most importantly, “The Queen of The Blues” Koko Taylor (no relation to the Eddie Taylor family). Demetria started playing drums at age 14, coached by her older brothers Larry and Tim, both professional blues drummers. She played in family shows across Chicago which also featured brother Eddie Taylor Jr. on guitar. She also sang in the gospel choir at Trinity All Nations Church on Chicago’s south side. “I put God first and everything else will work out”, says Demetria, who is married with eight children. “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. I love to listen to all types of music, but the blues caught my ear. I’ll never give up my dream.” Demetria has toured nationally and internationally and performs in many clubs and festivals including the Chicago Blues Festival. Her first album, Bad Girl, is on Delmark Records. Demetria was nominated in 2012 Blues Music Awards for “Best New Debut Artist”. |
DEMETRIA TAYLOR
Demetria Taylor, the seventh child out of eight from the family of late Blues Legend Eddie Taylor Sr. Taylor who is now 38, is helping keep the legacy of her father (along with other Blues Greats) alive. Born in Chicago in 1973, Demetria was born into a Blues family. Not only was her father a Blues Artist, but her mother, Vera Taylor was also a Blues Vocalist. Demetria can recall distant memories when many Chicago Blues Legends would visit their house. Some of those artists were: Floyd Jones, Carey Bell, Sunnyland Slim, Johnny Littlejohn, Sam Lay, Willie Kent, Taildragger, Eddie Shaw, Johnny B Moore and Magic Slim. Growing up in a Blues Home, she could be found listening to some of her biggest influences such as: Etta James, Bessie Smith, Big Mama Thornton, and, most importantly, ”The Queen of the Blues” Koko Taylor (No Relation to the Eddie Taylor Family). “I love Koko so much. She’s sweet, she’s intelligent, and she gives me encouraging words,” Demetria says. Demetria’s vocals has a wide range that can tear the roof of the house and bring angels down to earth. She enjoys singing the trademarks of her personal heroes but yet make the song belong to her. For instance she’ll make you “knock down all the windows and kick down all the doors” with “Wang Dang Doodle” and prove to you that she’s “Got What it Takes” because she is a “Hoochie Coochie Woman.” Demetria also likes to do some of her family’s classics like “Take Your Hands Down” and “Bad Girl” (after her father’s hit “Bad Boy”), and mom’s “Look Out.” She says, “I’m the new kid on the block, and I respect all the musicians and singers out there.” Demetria started playing drums at age 14, coached by her older brothers Larry and Tim. She would play in family shows across the city of Chicago which featured Vera(mother), Larry,Tim, Eddie Jr.(guitar playing brother).Plus, you can trace her roots to the gospel choir at Trinity All Nations Church (on Chicago’s Southside). ” Demetria is the youngest Taylor offspring and latest to break out as a blues star on her own, following her father, (long time guitarist with the great Jimmy Reed); mother, vocalist Vera Taylor; great uncle, Chicago soul/blues icon Jimmy Burns; Brenda and Edna Tayloy (sisters/vocalists), Larry Taylor (brother/drummer /vocalist), Milton Taylor(Drummer) and brother, the guitarist Eddie Taylor, Jr” (Waterfront Blues Festival Website) “I put God first and everything else will work out,” says Demetria, who is raising her eight children with her husband Chris in Country Club Hills, Illinois. “I feel that singing is something I was born to do. When I picked up the mic, the more I sang the more strongly I wanted to do it. I sing from the heart. Sometimes on the stage my eyes tear up as I feel the music I’m singing. I love to listen to all types of music, but the blues caught my ear. I’ll never give up my dream.” Demetria has toured across the world, just recently returning from a tour in Japan. Demetria has also performed at the Chicago Blues Festival, House of Blues, Rosa’s Lounge, Green Dolphin, Kingston Mines, B.L.U.E.S, Buddy Guys Legends, Blues Heaven, Demetria is now a Delmark recording artist, she just recently released her debut CD titled “Bad Girl”. “My mom used to sing around the house,” says Demetria. “She had the most beautiful, soulfulest voice you’d ever want to hear, it sounded like a hummingbird, it was so clear. She always told us girls, ‘It’s in you, you just got to bring it out.’ I was born to sing the blues.” less…demetriataylorblues.com/DemetriaTaylorBlues
https://do312.com/artists/demetria-taylor
Demetria Taylor:
The “Bad Girl” of the Blues
Born into the heart of Chicago’s vibrant blues scene in 1973, Demetria Taylor grew up surrounded by the soulful sounds of the genre. The daughter of the renowned blues artist Eddie Taylor Sr. and the gifted vocalist Vera Taylor, Demetria’s childhood was steeped in the rich traditions of the blues. Her home was a hub for Chicago Blues legends, regularly visited by icons like Floyd Jones, Carey Bell, Sunnyland Slim, Johnny Littlejohn, Sam Lay, Willie Kent, Taildragger, Eddie Shaw, Johnny B Moore, and Magic Slim.
Demetria’s passion for blues was nurtured by the soulful melodies of Etta James, Bessie Smith, Big Mama Thornton, and the inimitable Koko Taylor (no relation). Her powerful and versatile vocals could effortlessly transform any space into a realm of raw emotion, from bringing down the house to summoning celestial serenity. Demetria honors her personal heroes while adding her unique flair to classics such as “Wang Dang Doodle” and “Hoochie Coochie Woman,” along with family favorites like “Take Your Hands Down” and “Bad Girl,” a nod to her father’s hit “Bad Boy.”
From a young age, Demetria was musically versatile, learning drums at 14 under the guidance of her brothers Larry and Tim. She became a staple in family shows across Chicago, performing alongside her mother Vera, and her brothers, including the talented guitarist Eddie Jr. Her gospel roots from the choir at Trinity All Nations Church further enriched her musical journey.
“I’m the new kid on the block, and I respect all the musicians and singers out there,” says Demetria, reflecting her humble approach and deep respect for the blues community. “I put God first, and everything else will work out,” she asserts. Her connection to her music is profound and personal, often moving her to tears on stage as she channels the raw energy of the blues.
Demetria’s journey in music has been marked by significant achievements. She has enthralled audiences nationally and internationally, gracing many clubs and festivals, including the esteemed Chicago Blues Festival. Her debut album, “Bad Girl,” released on Delmark Records, was a heartfelt homage to her roots and showcased her formidable talent. This debut earned her a nomination for “Best New Debut Artist” at the 2012 Blues Music Awards.
In August 2022, Demetria’s contributions to blues were recognized with the Jus’ Blues Foundation’s Koko Taylor Lifetime Achievement Award. This honor coincided with the release of her second album on Delmark Records, “Doin’ What I’m Supposed to Do.” The following year, she garnered three Living Blues Awards nominations for Blues Artist of the Year, Female Singer, and Best Blues Album for “Doin’ What I’m Supposed To Do.”
Demetria Taylor continues to be a luminous presence in the blues scene, her voice echoing the legacy of her family and the soulful history of Chicago blues. Her music not only celebrates the past but also brings a vibrant, contemporary energy to the ever-evolving story of the blues.