Zora Young

Zora Young (born January 21, 1948, West Point, Mississippi, United States) is an American blues singer. She is a distant relative of Howlin’ Wolf.
Young’s family moved to Chicago at age seven and sang gospel at the Greater Harvest Baptist Church. As an adult she began singing blues and R&B music, and over the course of her career played with Junior Wells, Jimmy Dawkins, Bobby Rush, Buddy Guy, Albert King, Professor Eddie Lusk, and B. B. King. Among those she has collaborated with on record are Willie Dixon, Sunnyland Slim, Mississippi Heat, Paul DeLay, and Maurice John Vaughan.
In 1982, she toured Europe on the bill with Bonnie Lee and Big Time Sarah in ‘Blues with the Girls’, and then recorded an album in Paris, France. She was later cast in the role of Bessie Smith in the stage show, The Heart of the Blues. By 1991 she had recorded the album, Travelin’ Light, with the Canadian guitar player, Colin Linden.
Young has toured Europe more than thirty times, in addition to appearances in Turkey and Taiwan. She was the featured performer at the Chicago Blues Festival three times.
The Talented Princess of Blues
Ms. Zora Young
This is a sultry, sassy sistah with no shame in her game, Zora sings with a bold, unhurried, honesty that seems like a confession. She is deliciously imperfect.
Zora’s epic original deep blues “Toxic” always brings down the house at her many riveting live shows. She is a master at improvising lyrics and making songs all her own, as demonstrated on this soon to be classic eclectic blues CD.
We think you will agree that Zora’s got it all – she’s an entertainer supreme- sassy, classy, sexy, witty, humorous, and her distinctive, soul-drenched vocals put her at the head of the class. We truly think she’s the best female blues singer in this competitive town!
She is a multitalented blues singer who loves nothing more than sharing her talents on the big stage. You have never heard blues music quite like this before.

Ms. Young’s mellifluous voice will caress your eardrums and leave you feeling calm, serene, and at peace. By the end of the performance, you will know what true blues music is all about.
Not only is she arguably the best female vocalist on the Chicago blues scene today, she’s quite the rage in France too. Zora Young fronts three French bands for this album blending acoustic and electric performances in both studio and live takes.
The result is a display of her versatility and mastery of not only Chicago blues, but jazz, country and gospel too. Sure, it’s mostly covers except for Young’s own deep and fiery signature tune, «Toxic» but the arrangements are different enough to allow Young’s vocal range and phrasing to be totally captivating throughout.
Zora Young have been nominated for Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year Award in 2007, 2008 & 2010 at the National Blues Music Awards in Memphis

Discography
• Travelin’ Light (Deluge Records, 1991)
• Learned My Lesson (Delmark Records, 2000)
• Tore Up from the Floor Up (Delmark, 2005)
• Sunnyland (Airway, 2009)
• The French Connection (Delmark, 2009)