Young Girl Blues
Sue Foley San Francisco Blues Festival September 1992
Born to a working-class family, Foley grew up listening to her father play and sing Irish folk songs. After seeing James Cotton perform when she was 15, she made the lifelong decision to play blues guitar. At 16, Foley started playing professionally around Ottawa with local blues bands. By 21, she was living in Austin, Texas, and recording for legendary blues label Antone’s Records. Her first CD Young Girl Blues quickly established her unique talents as a blues guitarist and songwriter. Throughout the 90’s she took to the road with her paisley Telecaster and honed her craft working/sharing the stage with such artists as BB King, Buddy Guy, Lucinda Williams and Tom Petty. In 1997 she moved back to Canada to raise her son. Foley was also an excellent and advanced voice student of Cantor Stephen Chaiet of the NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing of America). In 2000, her home country honored her with her first Juno Award (Canada's premier music awards): Best Blues Album for her CD Love Comin’ Down. Since 1999, she has received a record-setting 17 Maple Blues Awards, and 3 Trophées de blues in France. Sue also received a nomination for the prestigious W.C. Handy Award for best contemporary female artist in 2003.
