Page 68 - Blues Festival Guide Magazine 2024 Digital Edition

Laurie Morvan. Photo by Bob Hakins

playing my guitar for around eight hours a day. That’s a pretty
good way to build up your skills and fluency.”
Morvan fell hard into the blues upon hearing Stevie Ray
Vaughan. She says, “It changed my life. He illuminated an
exciting new world about which I had previously been in the
dark: the big, beautiful, audacious, incredibly rich and varied
world of the blues. Now this was something amazing and
compelling, and it was calling to me in an irresistible way!”
Diving in deeper, hearing artists like Albert King, B.B. King,
Big Mama Thornton, Koko Taylor and Luther Allison opened
doors to more and more inspiring blues artists. She says, “I
immediately began to point my ship in that direction and
never looked back.”
Morvan is thankful for her place on the stage today. “When
folks come to our shows, open their hearts up to my songs and
want to share in our music, it is such an honor. I never take it
for granted and appreciate every minute that I am on stage.”

These women are formidable guitarists of the blues. They,
among so many others, have redefined what it means to
be a lead blues guitarist through their talent, resilience and
determination. They challenge us to listen not just to the notes
they play, but to the stories they tell – and in doing so, inspire
future generations to follow their passions. They are shredding
that glass ceiling.

66 Blues Festival Guide 2024