Page 78 - Blues Festival Guide Magazine 2012

Etta James performing in Cincinnati, Ohio
in 2011, one of her last concerts
Photo by Robert Hughes

The Voice of the Blues

by Teeny Tucker cry, to moan, to show pain and joy. The voice of the blues stood
I was mesmerized and my heart was pierced when I heard a alone. There were no guitars, no harmonicas, no instrumentation,
voice coming from my new radio Christmas morning. I was just eight just the call-and-response of the voice. It was later when musical
years old. The woman’s voice revealed an inner spirit, a personal instruments started accompanying the blues voice. It is the blues
connection with her faith and no doubt her life struggles. That voice that has been deeply rooted in American culture and has led
booming voice resonated with a unique vibrato, rich tone and deep the path for many other American voices, including jazz, rock, soul
emotion that caught my ear and moved my soul. I was hooked. It and even country.
was at that pivotal moment that I wanted to use my voice to get me Many blues singers were the descendants of sharecroppers, who
through my hard times, to guide me in expressing my disappointments found solace and comfort in expressing their experiences through
in the adults that failed me and to share my inner-most feelings about singing the blues, like Koko Taylor with her rough and powerful
how I perceived the world. It was the voice labeled as the pinnacle voice. Before I fully understood the plight of the bluesmen and
of gospel music — the voice of the incomparable Mahalia Jackson. women, I used to ask myself, how did they fi nd their blues voices?
At that moment I realized that with my own voice, I could touch There were no voice lessons available, no YouTube instructions,
someone in the same way Mahalia touched me. vocal coaches or internet lessons. The blues voice is a repetitive,
There are numerous voices that also left an indelible impression rhythmic and deeply felt sound. I could only conclude that the blues
on me. I consider my father, Tommy Tucker (“Hi Heel Sneakers”), voice was deeply rooted in the soul — a vocal sound with infl ections
one of the infl uences that helped shape my vocal skills, as well as that reveal the expressions of inner thoughts and emotions.
the commanding, large voice of Big Mama Thornton, the power- Pre-war bluesmen, like the unique voice of Tampa Red and
soul voice of Aretha Franklin and the versatile, descriptive voice of country bluesman Mississippi John Hurt, who sang in a loud
Etta James. I discovered whisper, set the stage
that these ladies began for future blues voices.
singing in church as young Memorable voices
girls, just as I did. Once I such as the booming
heard Etta James, the blues style of Howlin’
voice would dominate my Wolf and Chicago
musical journey. bluesman, Muddy
The blues voice has Waters’ husky, dark
served as therapist, doctor voice, all expressed so
and psychiatrist since much about what life
the early days of slavery. was really like at the
Originally, slave music time.
was that which came I, along with many
only from the sound of the female blues singers
A young Tommy Tucker voice. The slave used it in with strong voices, The “Queen of The Blues,” Koko Taylor
Photo Courtesy Tucker Archives the cotton fi elds to shout, to have been labeled Photo by John “Blueshammer” Hammer

78 Blues Festival Guide 2012 Blues Festival Guide 2012
78