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Sista Monica Parker

Can't Keep a Good Woman Down

Sista Monica was born and raised in Gary, Ind. and at the age of 7, she began putting down her gospel roots singing and touring with her church’s gospel choir. At the age of 12, Monica started participating in the choir’s mini-tours between Gary, Chicago and Detroit soaking up the rich melodies of soul, rhythm & blues and gospel music. She was heavily influenced by The Rev. Al Green, Aretha Franklin, Mavis Staples and the Staples Singers, Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke. After some college, Monica enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, making her way to the rank of Sergeant in three years. Returning to civilian life, Monica owned and operated her own engineering executive search firm then relocated to the hi-tech hotspot of Northern California’s Silicon Valley. She worked full time as a recruiting consultant for blue-chip clients including Apple, Hewlett Packard, Excite, WebEx, Sun Microsystems and Yahoo! In 1992, after seeing her former neighbor Stanley Burrell, a.k.a. M.C. Hammer, perform on the Arsenio Hall Show, she decided to turn her singing talent into something more than simply performing for friends and family. Already accustomed to hard work and discipline, Monica set out to make a living performing music inside her. Almost immediately she was sharing local stages with Mavis Staples, Gladys Knight, Taj Mahal, Luther Allison, Little Milton, Koko Taylor, Etta James, Bobby "Blue" Bland, and other blues and R&B greats. In 1995, Monica released her debut CD, Get Out Of My Way!. In 1997 Monica released and toured behind her second and self-titled CD SISTA MONICA. Comparisons to Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Big Maybelle, James Brown, and Koko Taylor emerged from her compelling stage presence and powerful gospel-influenced original blues. In addition to the reputation of the live performances, the accolades and industry recognition soon followed: 1998 W.C. Handy Award Nominee for Best Contemporary Blues Female; 1998 California Music Award Winner for Most Outstanding Blues Artist; and Most Outstanding Blues Artist for the Year 1998 presented by the BAMMIE Awards. In 1999 and 2000, Monica was also nominated for Best International Female Performer in the United Kingdom sharing the category with Irma Thomas, Etta James, Koko Taylor, and Angela Walker. In 2000, Monica released a third CD People Love The Blues to critical acclaim and talk of Grammy nods. Guest guitarists included Jimmy Thackery, Larry McCray and Dan Caron from the Charles Brown Band. A year later released her first traditional gospel CD Gimme That Old Time Religion. This CD captured the enduring qualities of good old time, hand-clapping gospel music filled with spirit and congregational singing. Also in 2001, Monica released Live in Europe, which is filled with the huge sound and energy of the artist who was being affectionately called The Blues Lioness. Two years later Sista Monica received the Artist of the Year Award at the prestigious 17th Annual Monterey Bay Blues Festival. With career momentum seemingly exponential, in November of 2002, Sista Monica completed a 17-concert tour of The Netherlands and upon return discovered a lump under her right arm. It was diagnosed as a rare and severe form of cancer - Synovial Sarcoma and given 3 months to live without treatment. Determined to sing and live out her purpose, Monica underwent more than eighteen months of aggressive chemotherapy, surgery, radiation and physical therapy. The result was a complete removal of the tumor but resulted in severely damage nerves and muscles in Monica’s entire upper right side. Eventually with her determination, faith, and patience, Monica regained mobility in her microphone-holding arm and hand, restoring it back to the level of her voice and spirit. Faced with fierce physical pain, the emotional and psychological confrontation of mortality, and a long road of recovery, Monica drew upon her inner strength, discipline, spirituality and of course the music. And, like her music, Monica Parker emerged from the struggle strong and proud. In 2004 after intense treatments, Sista Monica returned to compile several Soul and Jazz standards remembering Ray Charles and Dinah Washington in a healing and inspirational CD Love, Soul & Spirit vol. 1. Sista Monica is a soul survivor. Straight through the storm, she kept singing at conferences, festivals, and weddings, and even in the hallways of the UCSF hospital during treatments. She contends "It was surely the music and the grace of God that kept me alive!" And her new record is certainly a testament to that. In her aptly titled new release Can’t Keep A Good Woman Down, Sista Monica gives a renewed meaning to blues as healing music.

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