I live for Thursday… tonight is open mic night.

I’ve been singing since I could speak – thanks to being born into a musical family, there was no way I was going to grow up without playing some kind of instrument or learning how to sing.

My Granny was a career music and vocal teacher. She, my mother, and her three sisters had a band that played over 300 shows locally and across the state from the time my mother was about 12 until she graduated high school. In fact, my parents met at an All-State Band competition around 1958 or so. She played trumpet, and my dad played the tympani. Boom… it was a match made in musical heaven.

I learned to play the piano when I was about four, and I’d sing along with my Granny and whoever else wanted me to sing with them. In junior high, I played the flute and later, the piccolo, in high school band.

But I always wanted to be the lead singer in a really cool band. Growing up, I’d pretend to be Tina Turner, while standing beside the console stereo, holding a jump rope microphone. I did a brief stint in the church junior choir and in the early ’90s, got hooked on karaoke (yes, I admit it).

Sometime I’ll have to tell you about the karaoke contests I won. One was at a biker bar, and the other, a bowling alley.

But it took me over 40 years before I mustered the courage to step up to the mic and sing with a full, live band. There was a weekly blues jam downtown that my dad used to frequent – his cousin was the house drummer, and he said there was some great music and that “cousin Mike” would love to see me. So, I started going and singing a song or two with the band. Terrified and about to puke every time the music started… but I LOVED it.

One night at another weekly jam that brought what I termed the “big guns” to the stage, I took my turn singing. The woman who hosted the jam came over and said, “Have you ever heard of LouAnn Barton? If not, you need to find some of her stuff because you sound a lot like her.”

That woman, Shiela, has been my musical mentor since that Sunday back in 2008. She is one of the most humble, selfless, and talented musicians I know, and I have come to think of her as the big sister I never had but always wanted.

Thanks to her, I found the courage to learn more songs and feel comfortable on stage, interacting with the crowd… and the band.

I also need to send a special thank you to “Sweet Daddy” Ray Burnett. Ray also took time to help me with learning new songs and stretching my vocals. He’s no longer with us, and every jam night, I still find myself looking toward the front door, hoping to see that sharp-dressed man with the fedora and the beautiful guitar make their grand entrance.

In 2013, I was part of a band that played blues and swing from the 1940s to 1960s. We won the local blues challenge, which gave us a spot at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN. While we didn’t make it that far, we did have the opportunity to play on Beale Street for two nights… which is something I’ll never forget and a rare opportunity for most. The band went our separate ways, but some of us still manage to see (and sometimes jam with) each other on occasion.

There’s so much more I could share about how much I love singing, but open mic’s just a few hours away, and I have to get ready.

(Photo Credit: One of my favorites – it was taken by Alex Forsyth when we performed at the 2013 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN. )