Shemekia Copeland

Shemekia Copeland
a.k.a. Charon Shemekia Copeland

MY FAVORITE THINGS
Shamekia Copeland
The young blues diva Shamekia Copeland has been making waves since releasing her fine CD for Alligator Records, TURN UP THE HEAT. The daughter of the late, great Texas blues man Johnny Clyde Copeland, Shamekia is taking her hot-blooded sound on the road this summer, touring Europe with Buddy Guy, Susan Tedeschi, and Jimmie Vaughan. The dynamic and soulful singer took time out from her tour preparations to cull through her music collection and talk with Roberta Penn of barnesandnoble.com about her favorite sounds.

barnesandnoble.com: What album changed your life?

Shamekia Copeland: Wow, I listen to so many albums and they all have such a big effect that I couldn't say one particular album, but I used to listen to Sam Cooke's LIVE AT THE HARLEM SQUARE CLUB all the time. I like live albums. Oh, and Bessie Smith's SASSY ATTITUDE. Anything by Mahalia Jackson and Patsy Cline and all Otis Redding's albums. They all drive me completely crazy.

bn: What album do you wish you had played on?

SC: SHOWDOWN, which my daddy made with Robert Cray and Albert Collins.

bn: What's in your CD player right now?

SC: Bonnie Raitt's FUNDAMENTAL. She's so calming.

bn: Is Bonnie who you listen to after a gig when you want to come down?

SC: Yes, I like to listen to Bonnie Raitt to unwind. And I just got into Tracy Nelson's "Down So Low."

bn: What's the sexiest song ever?

SC: Albert King singing "You can bet your life she's the lovingest woman in town." I want to remake that and sing, "I'm the lovingest woman in town." Everybody in my band is an Albert King freak!

bn: What's the best music to listen to when you're cleaning house?

SC: "Clean Up Woman" by Betty Wright. Anything that will make you jump and dance. Sam and Dave, old R&B.

bn: What's your favorite book?

SC: Actually it's THE BLUEST EYE by Toni Morrison. That book helped me a lot when I was growing up. CATCHER IN THE RYE was a great book, and I read a lot of Greek mythology. Now I'm reading WHERE THE HEART IS by Billie Letts, from Oprah's Book Club.