Page 40 - Blues Festival Guide Magazine 2021

Carry On, Blues

HOw MusiCians PiOneered a PandeMiC

By Irene Johnson A litigation issues, the entire constant trauma of racism in this
The challenges the pandemic has presented to musicians country, the murders, the deaths of friends during COVID-19,
over the last year are obvious, yet complicated and relentless. protests during a pandemic – I just found I didn’t have the
In addition to the daily individual struggles of how to operate motivation to exercise. For me that’s big, as a vocalist who
in this “new normal,” musicians have wrestled with how to has asthma; to keep my lung capacity strong… and my energy
continue their livelihoods, connect to their fans, get their level up.” Rather than flounder, Lady A instead focused on
music heard and simply how to find any creative outlet. These self-care – through making a concerted effort to walk often for
themes run through every story we hear, and can really get exercise, finding a creative outlet in writing lyrics and working
us down. But in all the stories, I also find hope – hope in the on a new campaign that will launch in the Seattle area later
myriad of innovative solutions musicians have come up with in 2021.
in the last year to keep their life’s passions, careers and the Renowned piano man Victor Wainwright remembers,
blues forging ahead. “Besides the obvious realities of economics, one of the biggest
Let’s start at the beginning when the world came to a hurdles for guys like me was what do we do with all this
standstill; March 2020. Businesses shut their doors, shows and creative energy!? The hamster wheel of touring was rapidly
festivals were canceled, everyone was encouraged to stay removed, so many entertainers like myself were faced with
home, socially distance and quarantine. For a musician, who the reality that they no longer had the creative outlet they had
makes life’s work to create and share music, the pandemic been leaning on for their entire lives.”
presented a seemingly impossible situation. Daughter of the blues Teeny Tucker expressed that the
Like for so many of us, the isolation and daily stresses of the pandemic isolation, as well as the death of her son in late
pandemic were challenging enough. Blues-soul-funk-gospel 2019, forced her creativity into a new direction – essentially
songstress Anita White, a.k.a. Lady A, describes, “Being learning new skills and means of livelihood. She explains, “I
sequestered indoors those first six months and dealing with was encouraged to paint a red rose or something in memory
new working conditions for my day job, dealing with Lady of my son. I painted the rose, posted it on Facebook in his

38 Blues Festival Guide 2021