Sue Foley | |
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 Sue Foley at Antone's - Austin, TX (2007) | |
| Background information | |
| Born | March 29, 1968 |
| Origin | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Blues |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer |
| Instrument | Guitar |
| Labels |
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| Website | suefoley.com |
Sue Foley (born March 29, 1968) [1] is a Canadian blues guitarist and singer. She has released 15 albums since her debut with Young Girl Blues (1992). In May 2020, Foley won her first Blues Music Award, in the 'Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female)' category.
Foley was born in Ottawa, Ontario, and spent her early childhood in Canada. She learned to play guitar at age 13, became interested in blues music from listening to the Rolling Stones, and played her first gig at age 16. After high school graduation, she relocated to Vancouver where she formed the Sue Foley Band and toured Canada. [2] In 1988–1989, the Sue Foley Band teamed with Mark Hummel to tour across the United States, Canada and Europe as well as recording an album. The collaboration lasted a little over a year with 300 dates on the road in 1989. Clifford Antone saw Foley sitting in with Duke Robillard while the band was in Memphis for the W.C. Handy Awards that year.
By age of 21, Foley was living in Austin, Texas, United States, [3] and recording for Antone's, the blues label and historic nightclub. Her first release was Young Girl Blues. [4]
In 2001, Foley won the Juno Award for her CD, Love Comin' Down . [5] Foley has also earned seventeen Maple Blues Awards and three Trophees de Blues de France. She has also garnered several nominations at the Blues Music Awards in Memphis, Tennessee. [6]
In 2018, Foley released the album, The Ice Queen, which featured guest appearances by Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top and Jimmie Vaughan.
In May 2020, Foley won a Blues Music Award in the Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female) category. [7] In 2023, Foley won the Koko Taylor Award for the second time. [8]
In 2024, Foley released the album One Guitar Woman, a tribute to the female pioneers of guitar. The album is nominated for a 2025 Grammy Award in the Best Traditional Blues Album category. [9]
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