Carolyn Wonderland

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Carolyn Wonderland

| image = Carolyn Wonderland by Ron Baker.jpg

| caption = Carolyn Wonderland performing at Antone's in Austin, Texas (2006).

| image_size =

| landscape = Yes

| birth_name = Carolyn Bradford

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1972|11|9|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Houston, Texas, United States

| death_date =

| origin = Houston, Texas

| instrument = Guitar, vocals

| genre = Blues

| occupation = Singer-songwriter, guitarist

| years_active = 1990s–present

| label =

| associated_acts =

| website = {{nowrap|{{URL|http://www.carolynwonderland.com/}} }}

}}

Carolyn Wonderland (born Carolyn Bradford, November 9, 1972) is an American blues singer-songwriter and musician. She is married to comedian and writer A. Whitney Brown.

Early life and education

Carolyn Wonderland was born Carolyn Bradford in 1972 in Houston, Texas, United States. Wonderland dropped out of Houston's Langham Creek High School to pursue her music ambitions.{{cite web|url=http://www.austin360.com/music/content/music/stories/xl/2008/06/0605xlcover.html |title=Musical adventures in Wonderland |accessdate=April 23, 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121132254/http://www.austin360.com/music/content/music/stories/xl/2008/06/0605xlcover.html |archivedate=November 21, 2008 }}

Career

During the early 1990s, she toured with her own group, Carolyn Wonderland and the Imperial Monkeys. In 1999, Wonderland moved to Austin, Texas; in 2001, she lost her apartment lease after her landlord became ill, and decided to live out of her van since she was spending more than 300 days a year on the road performing.

Wonderland's instrumental abilities include guitar, slide guitar, mandolin, trumpet, and piano. Although primarily a blues artist, Wonderland likes to incorporate elements of country, swing, zydeco, surf, gospel, soul, and cumbia into her musical mix. She usually performs with Cole El-Saleh on keyboards and Kevin Lance on drums.

In February 2008, Wonderland released the CD Miss Understood on the Bismeaux Productions label,{{cite news|last=Moser |first=Margaret |url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A618724 |title=Miss Understood: Let's hear it for Carolyn Wonderland – Music |newspaper=The Austin Chronicle |date=May 2, 2008 |accessdate=July 23, 2016}} and the title song has been on the Top 50 of the 'Roots Music Report' chart since the album's release.{{cite web |url=http://www.rootsmusicreport.com/2.0/charts.php?name%3Daltcountry |title=Roots Music Report - the #1 Independent, International Music Charts in the World - Music News, Reviews, & More. Helping the Music Artist along with Radio Stations and Record Labels |accessdate=March 26, 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080305130706/http://www.rootsmusicreport.com/2.0/charts.php?name=altcountry |archivedate=March 5, 2008 }} Fans of Wonderland's music include Bob Dylan{{cite web|author=Margaret Moser |url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/review?oid=oid%3A255090 |title=Review: Carolyn Wonderland – Music |newspaper=The Austin Chronicle |date=January 2, 2005|accessdate=July 23, 2016}} and Ray Benson, founder of Asleep at the Wheel. Benson produced Miss Understood, and has been one of her songwriting collaborators. Wonderland credits several blues and Texas musicians as influences on her music. One notable influence is Austin singer-songwriter Terri Hendrix, as Wonderland covered two Hendrix songs ("I Found the Lions" and "Throw My Love") on Miss Understood.

Image:Carolyn Wonderland by Ron Baker 2.jpg

Wonderland has been involved in a number of recordings, including several that were self-produced on independent labels. She was the lead singer fronting the band Imperial Monkeys. Wonderland released Bloodless Revolution in 2008, and is the primary singer on the Jerry Lightfoot's Band of Wonder Texistentialism CD with Lightfoot and Vince Welnick (Grateful Dead, the Tubes).{{cite web|url=http://www.jambase.com/Artists/6611/Carolyn-Wonderland/Bio |title=Carolyn Wonderland – Upcoming Shows, Tickets, Reviews, More |website=Jambase.com |date= |accessdate=July 23, 2016}}

Wonderland was a founding member of the Loose Affiliation of Saints and Sinners (with Papa Mali, Eldridge Goins, Guy Forsyth, and others), with several of her songs being featured on their Sessions from the Hotel San Jose Rm. 50 CD. She was also the lead guitarist in the all-girl, southern rock band Sis DeVille (other members include Shelley King, Sarah Brown, Lisa Pankratz, and Floramay Holliday), and a founding member of the Austin Volunteer Orchestra.

Wonderland appeared on Austin City Limits in 2008,{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/klru/austin/index.php?option%3Dcom_content%26task%3Dview%26id%3D228%26Itemid%3D676 |title=Austin City Limits - Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings followed by Carolyn Wonderland |website=PBS |accessdate=December 18, 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219154750/http://www.pbs.org/klru/austin/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=228&Itemid=676 |archivedate=December 19, 2008 }} and has had her music used on NBC's Homicide and Fox's Time of Your Life. She was a headlining artist at the annual Rochester International Jazz Festival summer 2009 at the Eastman Theatre and New York. In 2003, Wonderland opened the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, after performing there for the previous ten years, singing the national anthem with The Imperial Monkeys.{{cite web|author= |url=http://sturgiszone.com/sturgis-2003/index.php |title=Sturgis Schedule |website=Sturgiszone.com |date= |accessdate=July 23, 2016}}

Wonderland also performs with the Imperial Golden Crown Harmonizers, raising money for local Austin charities, food banks, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and on behalf of the legalization of marijuana.

File:Carolyn Wonderland 01.jpg in 2019]]

On April 6, 2018, Wonderland joined John Mayall as his only female lead guitarist in his 60+-year career until his death in 2024.{{Cite web|url=https://www.johnmayall.com/single-post/2018/04/20/Welcome-Carolyn-Wonderland-to-the-Band|title=John Welcomes Carolyn Wonderland to the Band {{!}} johnmayall|website=johnmayall|language=en|access-date=August 16, 2018}}

Personal life

Wonderland married writer-comedian A. Whitney Brown on March 4, 2011, in a ceremony officiated by Michael Nesmith.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/13/fashion/weddings/13VOWS.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=carolyn%20wonderland&st=cse|title=Carolyn Wonderland and A. Whitney Brown|newspaper=The New York Times|date=March 11, 2011 |accessdate=July 23, 2016 |last1=Hoinski |first1=Michael }}

Recognition

Wonderland has won the following awards:{{cite web|url=http://www.hotbands.com/reviews/2000/10-13-2000.htm |title=Carolyn Wonderland |website=Hotbands.com |date=October 1, 2000|accessdate=July 23, 2016}}

Best Blues Band – 1996 Public News Music Awards
Best Rock/Pop Album of the Year ("Bursting With Flavor") and Local Musician of the Year and Best Female Vocalist – 1997 Houston Press Music Awards
Local Musician of the Year & song of the Year ("Blue Lights") – 1998 Houston Press Music Awards
Best Blues Songwriter of the Year – 1999 Houston Press Music Awards
Gold Award – Flagstaff International Film Festival – Music Video Awards – Alan Ames & Assoc. "Party on Houston" featured artist Carolyn Wonderland{{when|date=May 2015}}
Best Female Vocalist – 2000 Houston Press Music Awards
Best Blues Band – 2009 Austin Music Awards
Best Female Vocalist – 2009 Austin Music Awards
Best Female Vocalist – 2012 Austin Music Awards

Discography

=Albums=

class="wikitable"
Title ! Year ! Artist Name ! Label ! Producer
Groove Milk \| (1993) \| Carolyn Wonderland and the Imperial Monkeys \| Pulse/Montrose \| Richard Cagle
Truckstop Favorites Vol. 2 \| (1994) \| Carolyn Wonderland and the Imperial Monkeys \| Pulse/Montrose \|
Play with Matches \| (1995) \| Carolyn Wonderland and the Imperial Monkeys \| Big Mo Records \| The Imperial Monkeys
Bursting with Flavor \| (1997) \| Carolyn Wonderland and the Imperial Monkeys \| Justice Records \| Randall Hage Jamail
Blue Lights (CD single) \| (1997) \| Carolyn Wonderland and the Imperial Monkeys \| Justice Records \|
Alcohol & Salvation \| (2001) \| Carolyn Wonderland \| Mix-O-Rama Records \| Eldridge Goins
Bloodless Revolution \| (2003) \| Carolyn Wonderland \| Indie release \| Stephen Doster
Miss Understood \| (2008) \| Carolyn Wonderland \| Bismeaux Productions \| Ray Benson
Peace Meal \| (2011) \| Carolyn Wonderland \| Bismeaux Productions \| Ray Benson, Larry Campbell, Michael Nesmith
Live Texas Trio \| (2015) \| Carolyn Wonderland \| Bismeaux Productions \| Carolyn Wonderland
Moon Goes Missing \| (2017) \| Carolyn Wonderland \| Home Records \|
Tempting Fate \| (2021) \| Carolyn Wonderland \| Alligator Records \| Dave Alvin
Truth Is \| (2025) \| Carolyn Wonderland \| Alligator Records \| Dave Alvin

class="wikitable"

Title

! Year

! Artist Name

! Label

! Producer

Groove Milk

| (1993)