Songbird Carolyn Gaines shares exciting blues history and thoughts about five heartfelt tracks from her album of covers, The Thrill Is Gone: “I Got Dreams to Remember,” “God Bless the Child,” “Deep Moaning Blues,” “Stormy Monday,” and “Damn Right I Got the Blues” (8X Grammy Winner Buddy Guy galvanized Carolyn to cover this song). She is the daughter of Rockabilly, Jazz, Classic and Blues guitar and singing phenomenon, Roy Gaines, and the niece of bluesman, Grady Gaines who was Little Richard’s and Sam Cooke’s saxophonist and bandleader.

“I Got Dreams to Remember” (Otis Redding & Buddy Guy)
Carolyn was inspired by Buddy Guy’s version to sing “I Got Dreams to Remember,” a beautiful, yet painful song first recorded by Otis Redding and written by Otis Redding, Joe Block, and Zelma Redding (Otis Redding’s wife). It was recorded by Blues Diva Carolyn Gaines at Leon Haywood’s Sunnyside Recording Studio in Los Angeles, CA in 2019. Listen Here

“God Bless the Child” (Billie Holiday, Diana Ross)
As a young teen, Carolyn Gaines dreamed of recording this song (written by Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog Jr.) one day in a real-live recording studio. She would practice Holiday’s 1949 version (and Diana Ross’ 1972 version) of this song in her father’s home accompanied by her dad’s record player. Her father, the late Roy Gaines, was Billie Holiday’s last living guitarist at the young age of 21 in NYC. at Carnegie Hall. Listen Here

“Deep Moaning Blues” (Ma Rainey)
Carolyn Gaines reached back before-her-time to sing “Deep Moaning Blues” in her own special way paying tribute to one of her heroes, Ma Rainey, with her deep, raw, and soulful sound. (Ma Rainey’s hit song was recorded on Paramount Records in the format of a shellac, 10″ 78 RPM). Listen Here

“Stormy Monday” (T-Bone Walker, Roy Gaines, Bobby Blue Bland)
“Stormy Monday” was recorded by Carolyn Gaines at Leon Haywood’s Sunnyside Recording Studio in Los Angeles. Her father Roy Gaines also recorded “Stormy Monday” on blues-giant, Bobby Blue Bland’s early hit song ‘Stormy Monday’ in Houston, Texas in the early ‘60’s. It was produced by legendary R&B, Rock and Roll, Blues Producer Don Robey in Fifth Ward (Houston). Carolyn Gaines studied her version of “Stormy Monday” from her father, Roy Gaines’ and Bobby Blue Bland’s fiery version. Carolyn Gaines rocked her “Stormy Monday” version with Blues and Jazz tones. “Stormy Monday” was first recorded by T-Bone Walker; at the age of 14, Roy Gaines was T-Bone Walker’s protégé. Listen Here

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