Sheba The Mississippi Queen

Born Martha Booker in Sunflower, Mississippi, Sheba the Mississippi Queen’s father was a gospel singer who traveled the South. But as sharecroppers barely getting by, the family moved to Florida in search of opportunities. Since that fateful day, Sheba’s career has taken her to New York City and back to Florida, where she gained fame as a uniquely talented singer and performer. Sheba had been singing with the Wild Rob Moore Blues Band, which led to a gig at the Ft. Lauderdale Blues Fest. There Sheba met Ken Minahan, who liked her voice so much he put a band behind her. Sheba and The Rhythm Kings toured from the Florida Keys all the way back to Mississippi. After five years and one Sheba-produced CD, Miss Good-n-Plenty, the group disbanded, and Sheba launched her solo career. Her 2009 solo debut Butter on My Rolls led to a steady career delighting audiences with her powerful and passionate voice, and the ability to thrill and chill equally. Sheba can skillfully straddle the line between blues and gospel, but her immense range includes jazz as well. She formed the band Sheba the Mississippi Queen & the Bluesmen in 2018, and they were International Blues Challenge semifinalists in 2019. Sheba’s albums are almost entirely made up of original material, written from years of pain and hard times, but also about transcending those experiences, as evidenced on her sophomore release, 2017’s A Real Good Woman and her latest, 2021’s This is the Blues. More at shebathemississippiqueen.com.