Trudy Lynn

{{short description|American actress, singer, dancer (born 1947)}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Trudy Lynn

| image =

| caption =

| image_size =

| birth_name = Lee Audrey Nelms

| alias =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1947|8|9}}

| birth_place = Houston, Texas, United States

| death_place =

| instrument = Vocals

| genre = Electric blues, soul blues, soul, R&B{{cite web|last=Carpenter |first=Bil |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/trudy-lynn-mn0000018650 |title=Trudy Lynn – Music Biography, Credits and Discography |publisher=AllMusic |date=n.d.|access-date=May 23, 2013}}

| occupation = Singer, songwriter

| years_active = Mid 1960s–present

| label = Nola Blue Records, Ichiban, Ruf, Jus Blues, Isabel, Sawdust Alley, Connor Ray Music

| associated_acts =

| website =

}}

Trudy Lynn (born August 9, 1947){{cite web|url=http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?rank=1&new=1&MSAV=1&msT=1&gss=angs-g&gsfn=Lee+Audrey&gsln=+Nelms&msbdy=1947&msbpn__ftp=texas&cpxt=1&catBucket=rstp&uidh=jq5&cp=12&pcat=ROOT_CATEGORY&h=4531150&db=TXbirthindex&indiv=1 |title=Texas Birth Index, Roll No. 1947_0009|publisher=Search.ancestry.co.uk|access-date=May 23, 2013}}{{cite book

| first= Charles Roger

| last= Wood

| year= 2003

| title= Down in Houston: Bayou City blues

| edition= 1st

| publisher= University of Texas Press

| location= Austin, Texas, United States

| isbn= 0-292-79159-3

| pages= 177/9}} is an American electric blues and soul blues singer and songwriter, whose recorded work has been released on twelve studio albums, one live album, and four compilation albums.{{cite web |url=https://trudylynn.com/discography |title=Discography |website=Trudy Lynn |access-date=September 30, 2018}}

The Allmusic journalist, Alex Henderson, noted that "Lynn isn't one to hold back emotionally; like Koko Taylor and Etta James, she screams, shouts, testifies and gets her points across in a highly convincing way".{{cite web|last=Henderson |first=Alex |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/come-to-mama-mw0000312750 |title=Come to Mama – Trudy Lynn : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |publisher=AllMusic |date=n.d.|access-date=May 23, 2013}}

Biography

She was born Lee Audrey Nelms in the Fifth Ward, Houston, Texas, United States.{{cite web|url=http://maxctalentgroup.com/bios/TrudyLynn.php |title=Max C Talent – Trudy Lynn |publisher=Maxctalentgroup.com |date=n.d.|access-date=May 23, 2013}}

Her professional singing career began in the mid-1960s, when she sang with the guitarist Albert Collins and then later, Clarence Green. Use of her stage name of Trudy Lynn was in place when she performed with the Rhythmaires in the late 1960s. Her early work was in the rhythm and blues genre, and she once opened for Ike & Tina Turner. In the 1970s, Lynn expanded her performing base from clubs in Houston, to regional work and then overseas.

Lynn's recording career did not start until 1989, when Ichiban Records released the first of five albums she recorded for them. Her debut, Trudy Sings the Blues, included her cover version of "Ball 'n' Chain".{{cite web|last=Frantz |first=Niles J. |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/sings-the-blues-mw0000201331 |title=Sings the Blues – Trudy Lynn : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |publisher=AllMusic |date=n.d.|access-date=May 23, 2013}} It reached No. 76 in the US Billboard R&B albums chart.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/trudy-lynn-mn0000018650/awards |title=Trudy Lynn – Awards |publisher=AllMusic |date=n.d.|access-date=May 23, 2013}} The following year, Come to Mama also peaked at No. 76 in the same chart. A mixture of southern soul and blues, her early albums were produced by Buzz Amato. Her 1999 release, U Don't Know What Time It Is, issued by Ruf Records, was short of double entendres in the lyrics, which had been a trademark up to that time.{{cite web|last=Hamilton |first=Andrew |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/u-dont-know-what-time-it-is-mw0000256364 |title=U Don't Know What Time It Is – Trudy Lynn : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |publisher=AllMusic |date=October 19, 1999 |access-date=May 23, 2013}} The album included keyboards input from Lucky Peterson, with Bernard Allison on guitar.{{cite web|url=http://georgegraham.com/reviews/trudlynn.html |title=George Graham Reviews Trudy Lynn's "U Don't Know What Time It Is" |publisher=Georgegraham.com |date=February 15, 2004 |access-date=May 23, 2013}} Her live album, Blues Power: Trudy's Blues (2004), had guitar work by Carl Weathersby.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/blues-power-trudys-blues-mw0001372364/credits |title=Blues Power: Trudy's Blues – Trudy Lynn : Credits |publisher=AllMusic |date=August 10, 2004 |access-date=May 23, 2013}}

One of her most recent outputs was I'm Still Here, released in May 2006.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/im-still-here-mw0000449479/credits |title=I'm Still Here – Trudy Lynn : Credits |publisher=AllMusic |date=May 23, 2006 |access-date=May 23, 2013}} It was recorded with the Calvin Owens Blues Orchestra.{{cite web|author=Olivia Flores Alvarez |url=http://www.houstonpress.com/2006-07-27/music/trudy-lynn-with-the-calvin-owens-blues-orchestra/full/ |title=Trudy Lynn with the Calvin Owens Blues Orchestra – – Music |publisher=Houston Press |date=July 27, 2006 |access-date=May 23, 2013}} I'm Still Here was nominated for a Blues Music Award in 2007 in the 'Best Soul Blues Album' category.{{cite book

| first= Andy

| last= Bradley

| year= 2010

| title= House of Hits

| edition= 1st

| publisher= University of Texas Press

| location= Austin, Texas, United States

| isbn= 978-0-292-71919-4

| page= 248}} Lynn herself was nominated as 'Best Soul Blues Artist'.{{cite web|url=http://www.defendernetwork.com/trudy-lynn-bringing-back-the-blues/ |title=Blog Archive : Trudy Lynn: Bringing back the blues |publisher=Defender Network |date=February 9, 2012 |access-date=May 23, 2013}} In 2014, Lynn was nominated for a Blues Music Award in the 'Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female)' category.{{cite web|url=http://blues.about.com/od/bluesawards/a/2014-Blues-Music-Awards.htm |title=2014 Blues Music Awards Nominees and Winners |publisher=Blues.about.com |date=n.d.|access-date=May 16, 2014}} Her album, Royal Oaks Blues Cafe, reached number one in the Billboard Top Blues Albums Chart in September 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/royal-oaks-blues-caf%C3%A9-mw0002702309/awards|title=Royal Oaks Blues Café – Steve Krase,Trudy Lynn – Awards |publisher=AllMusic|access-date=February 13, 2015}}

Festival work

At the Chicago Blues Festival, one newspaper journalist described her as "enthralling", whilst in her home town at the Juneteenth Blues Festival, she was described as the 'Blues Artist of the Year.' Lynn appeared at the Notodden Blues Festival in both 1999 and 2009, and with Little Milton at the San Francisco Blues Festival in 2001. In 2014, she performed at the Lucerne Blues Festival.

Discography

=Studio albums=

Year \|\| Title \|\| Record label
class="wikitable sortable"
1989	Trudy Sings the Blues	style="text-align:center;"\|Ichiban Records
1990	Come to Mama	style="text-align:center;"\|Ichiban Records
1991	The Woman in Me	style="text-align:center;"\|Ichiban Records
1993	I'll Run Your Hurt Away	style="text-align:center;"\|Ichiban Records
1994	24 Hour Woman	style="text-align:center;"\|Ichiban Records
1999	U Don't Know What Time It Is	style="text-align:center;"\|Ruf Records
2002	Memories of You	style="text-align:center;"\|Jus Blues Records
2006	I'm Still Here	style="text-align:center;"\|Sawdust Alley Records
2013	Royal Oaks Blues Café feat. Steve Krase	style="text-align:center;"\|Connor Ray Music
2015	Everything Comes with a Price	style="text-align:center;"\|Connor Ray Music
2016	I'll Sing the Blues for You	style="text-align:center;"\|Connor Ray Music
2018	Blues Keep Knockin'	style="text-align:center;"\|Connor Ray Music
2022	Golden Girl	style="text-align:center;"\|Nola Blue Records

=Live albums=

Year \|\| Title \|\| Record label
class="wikitable sortable"
2004	Blues Power: Trudy's Blues	style="text-align:center;"\|Isabel Records

=Compilation albums=

Year \|\| Title \|\| Record label
class="wikitable sortable"
1995	The First Lady of Soul	style="text-align:center;"\|Ichiban Records
1996	Here Comes Trudy!: The Best of Trudy Lynn	style="text-align:center;"\|Japan only – import
1998	Retrospectives	style="text-align:center;"\|Ichiban Records
2002	American Roots: Blues	style="text-align:center;"\|Ichiban Records

{{cite web|url=http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/artist/Trudy+Lynn/a/albums.htm |title=Trudy Lynn Discography and Music at CD Universe |publisher=Cduniverse.com |date=n.d.|access-date=May 23, 2013}}