Very often people ask me about how I became a singer and learned various styles I do. My first love in life is God and so my most favorite music in the whole world is gospel. A Little Somethin' about
VALERIE JOHNSON
Very often people ask me about how I became a singer and learned various styles I do. My first love in life is God and so my most favorite music in the whole world is gospel.
When I was real young (about 3yrs old) my mom started me out in the Children's Chior at Church. I can remember around that time we were living in Newfoundland, Canada and I was a ham when it came to singing. I loved singing and I loved singing to people.
Time went by and as it did I sang all the time - at home - at school - if you gave an excuse to sing - I sang. I also had learned a bit about music from home because I took piano lessons for several years and our whole family loved music - of any kind. The family stereo was very instrumental in my musical development. I would play musicals on the stereo (hi-fi) and practice harmonizing with the singers. That's where I first learned about harmonies.
When I entered Junior High School I sang in the school chior. I continued this until I graduated from High School. School Chior was where I learned proper breathing techniques and working as a team to achieve the sound the group was striving. Also, during that time I started playing guitar and became real involved with folk music and Janis Joplin style vocals. (Later I would learn that was a style of blues.) Several years later I met the members of the Bitburg Gospel Messengers, while I was in the military stationed at Bitburg Air Base Germany. The chior director (Sister Perry) asked me to join them the first moment I set eyes on the chior. She had never met me and didn't know if I could sing or not, and really, as I found out later, it didn't matter. This "black gospel" style of singing was something I had always wanted to do. Sister Perry knew how to blend voices together and pick the right music for our capabilities and styles. We were a great chior! This experience was one of the biggest thrills of my life. I sang with them for a few years until I had to come back to the United States. Singing with this chior is where I learned how to control and vary my vibrato. I was filled with an unspeakable joy and happiness when singing with this chior and gospel music. Thank God, I have never lost that gift. I learned how to trust in God and myself when I sang, being used as a vessel to help other people find peace, joy, comfort and spirituality. I also found out at that time that I was really an alto/contralto and could always sit in as a tenor, if they needed one. I was able to sing all throughout Germany and England with that chior. That experience I will never forget. It changed my life.
Now I am now singing lead in in five wonderful bands: The band that made Janis Joplin famous "Big Brother & the Holding Company"; Contemporary roots blues band "Valerie Johnson & the Blues Doctors"; Two Traditional Jass bands; the "Creole Syncopators" and the Golden Eagle Jazz Band; One Dixieland Band - The Alcatraz Angels I also perform as a duet with Karen Tyler and my husband Mr. Al "B. Blue" Ingram. We also do Blues for Kids workshops.
In April of 1999 I got to meet and do a Midwest United States tour with Big Brother & the Holding Company. Since that time do gigs with them wherever and whenever the need me. Singing with Big Brother allows me the unique opportunity to pour out my soul with legendary songs you know; "Piece of My Heart", "Summertime", "Call On Me","Ball & Chain", etc... Then, I also get to sing their new soul stirring music. They have just gotten better and better through the years! "Valerie Johnson & the Blues Doctors" plays contemporary roots blues.
The reason we are the Blues Doctors is because no matter what style of song we do we are always "bluzing" them up and striving to be true to ourselves. All of our songs portray honest emotion whether it is a hard truth to handle or a festive/mischievous feeling all the way down into our bones. Our styles of blues, gospel, jazz, rock and pop merge into our own soulful mix. Working with the Blues Doctors, I have learned musical freedom. They have shown me that. They have taught me there are no wrongs. I am free to express myself vocally the way I want whether it is a very pretty melody I sing or a grunt I make. It's all good!
Singing with the Creole Syncopators is a joy. I started singing with them in early 1998. 
This traditional Jass is such happy, mischieveous and spirited music. Vocally it was a challenge singing this traditional style. Studying the vocal styles of famous traditional jass/blues women like Bessie Smith, Sippy Wallace, "Ma" Rainy and many others gave me a deeper understanding of the blues, as well as jass. Your heart will always be left feeling happy when you hear us perform.
Through my singing I've had big moments. One very special moment for me was singing gospel songs with the Holmes Brothers at the Central Coast Blues Festival in 1998 and being asked to tour with them. Oh, what a time I had!
