Toni Price or Luiese Esther Price (March 13, 1961 – November 22, 2024) was an American

country blues Country blues (also folk blues, rural blues, backwoods blues, or downhome blues) is one of the earliest forms of blues music. The mainly solo vocal with acoustic fingerstyle guitar accompaniment developed in the rural Southern United States in t ...

singer from

Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...

, United States. Price began her career in Nashville, where she recorded a few

country and western A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, or d ...

singles. However, after accepting an invitation to play at the

South by Southwest South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...

music festival she moved to Austin and released her second of numerous albums. Price won awards for Female Vocalist of the Year (1994–97), Album of the Year (''Hey''), Song of the Year ("Tumbleweed"), and Blues Artist of the Year. In 2002, Price performed at the wedding of

Julia Roberts Julia Fiona Roberts (born October 28, 1967) is an American actress. Known for her leading roles across various genres, she has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and three Golden Globe Award ...

and Daniel Moder.

Early life

Price was born in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

on March 13, 1961. Her adoptive parents, the Prices, named her Luiese Esther Price after her grandmothers. Her first exposure to blues was through second-generation blueswoman

Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In 1971, Raitt released her Bonnie Raitt (album), self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed Americana (mu ...

. Luiese later studied the recordings of women blues singers such as Sippie Wallace and

Victoria Spivey Victoria Regina Spivey (October 15, 1906 – October 3, 1976), sometimes known as Queen Victoria, was an American blues singer, songwriter, and record company founder. During a recording career that spanned 40 years, from 1926 to the mid-1960s, s ...

, whose music has also inspired Bonnie Raitt. Luiese moved to

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

, where she started schooling and began singing, then moved to

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

, where a summer parks program featured a talent contest in her 10th year, which she entered as Toni Price. This was her first recorded appearance on a Nashville stage, belting out " One Tin Soldier". Price's conservative family wasn't particularly musical: "Since I was adopted, they didn't know what to expect of me, and I believe you're born to do whatever it is you do—that maybe my irthparents were musical. Maybe not. But I knew as a little bitty child I was going to be a singer. I didn't know how you did it or know any musicians, but I knew I would get there."

Career

Price grew musically in Nashville, where she recorded a few

singles. However, she felt frustrated by the "rigid" Nashville music industry. She accepted an invitation to play the

music festival in Austin in 1989. The town's music fans "just responded so lovingly that I said that's it. I know where I belong". Here she met and learned from the locals, who included Clifford Antone, owner of Antone's blues nightclub, and Austin-area guitarists such as Derek O'Brien, who produced her second album, ''Hey''. Shortly after she began singing in country bars in Nashville, she met songwriter Gwil Owen, who wrote eight (one co-written) of the 15 songs on her debut, '' Swim Away'' (1993). Price cites vocalists

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...

Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, bandleader, and activist. She is considered one of the leading music artists behind the country rock genre in the 1970s and the Americana (music), Americana genre ...

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is an American singer who has performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin music. Ronstadt has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three A ...

Patsy Cline Patsy Cline (born Virginia Patterson Hensley; September 8, 1932 – March 5, 1963) was an American singer. One of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century, she was known as one of the first country music artists to successfully Cross ...

, and

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...

as her major influences. ''Swim Away'' and Price's second album, ''Hey'' (1995), received praise from both fans and critics. She has been often compared with

("Patsy Cline on a Harley") and Bonnie Raitt. Price has won numerous awards, including Female Vocalist of the Year (1994–97), Album of the Year (''Hey''), Song of the Year ("Tumbleweed"), and Blues Artist of the Year. Her third album, '' Sol Power'', was recorded at a club in Texas's remote town of Alpine. ''Sol Power'' (1999) is an acoustic live set from the Railroad Blues Club, in a tiny town in the southwestern desert lands of Texas. The landscape there inspired the band to, in Price's words, "take it to the limit". '' Low Down and Up'' (1999) followed, and then came '' Midnight Pumpkin'', (2001), '' Born to Be Blue'' (2003), '' Talk Memphis'' (2007), and ''Cherry Sunday Orchestra'' (2010). Except for infrequent appearances in

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, or an occasional music festival elsewhere, Price stayed close to home and her daughter. "I have a sweet situation here," Price told John Burnett of

NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

. "I don't have to go anywhere. People come and see me and I'm so, so lucky". Price performed at the wedding of

and Daniel Moder in

Taos, New Mexico Taos () is a town in Taos County, New Mexico, Taos County, in the north-central region of New Mexico in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Initially founded in 1615, it was intermittently occupied until its formal establishment in 1795 by Santa Fe ...

, on July 4, 2002. Price always performed music on her own terms, usually only on Tuesday nights, until June 2007, at the Continental Club in Austin. Price relocated to San Diego in June 2007, but two years later, in June 2009, she moved back to Austin.

Death

Price died from complications of a

brain aneurysm An intracranial aneurysm, also known as a cerebral aneurysm, is a cerebrovascular disorder characterized by a localized dilation or ballooning of a blood vessel in the brain due to a weakness in the vessel wall. These aneurysms can occur in an ...

on November 22, 2024, at the age of 63.

Discography

;LPs: * 1993: ''Swim Away'' (Discovery 77003) * 1995: '' Hey'' (Discovery 77022) * 1997: ''Sol Power'' (Discovery 74711) * 1999: ''Low Down and Up'' ( Antone's 10044) * 2001: ''Midnight Pumpkin'' (Texas Music Group 52) * 2003: ''Born to Be Blue'' (Texas Music Group 60) * 2007: '' Talk Memphis'' (Texas Music Group 63) * 2010: ''Cherry Sunday Orchestra'' (Toni Price Records) ;EPs: * 1992: ''Toni Price Live'' (Toni Price Records) * 2007: ''Price is Right'' (Antone's TMG-ANT 0064) ;Appears on: * 1992: David Schnaufer - ''Dulcimer Sessions'' (SFL Records 5) * 1992: Various Artists - ''Antone's Women Bringing You The Best In Blues'' (Antone's ANT 9902) * 1995: Ian Moore - ''Live from Austin'' (Capricorn 947000) * 1995: Loose Diamonds - ''New Location'' (Dos DOSCD 7010) * 1995: Sue Foley - ''Big City Blues'' (Antone's 37) * 1995: Various Artists - ''Threadgill's Supper Session Second Helpings'' (Watermelon WM CD 1052) * 1996: Various Artists - ''Cowpunks'' (Vinyl Junkie VJLP002) * 1996: Various Artists - ''Luxury Liner Volume 1'' (Glitterhouse GRCD 413) * 1996: Various Artists - ''Rig Rock Deluxe: A Musical Salute To The American Truck Driver'' (Upstart Sounds 025) * 1997: 8 1/2 Souvenirs - ''Souvonica'' (Continental COTR 8123) * 1997: Candye Kane: ''Diva la Grande'' (Discovery 74710) * 1997: Loose Diamonds - ''Fresco Fiasco'' (Freedom 1011) * 1998: Beaver Nelson - ''Last Hurrah'' (Freedom 1019) * 1999: Michael Hall And The Woodpeckers - ''Dead By Dinner'' (Blue Rose BLU CD0128) * 2000: The LeRoi Brothers - ''Kings of the Catnap'' (Rounder 37) * 2000: Various Artists - ''Screamin' And Hollerin' The Blues: New Acoustic Recordings Of Pre-War Blues Classics'' (Shanachie 9026) * 2001: Libbi Bosworth - Libbiville (Stark Raving 7007) * 2001: The James Hyland Band - ''Place I Call Home'' (Tin Roof 3405) * 2002: Various Artists - ''Happy Birthday Buck!: A Texas Salute To Buck Owens'' (Texas Music Round-Up RU2003) * 2002: Champ Hood - ''Bon Haven'' (South Congress Records 1003) * 2002: Roger Wallace - ''The Lowdown'' (Texas Music Group TMG-LS 4006) * 2003: Alex Parker And Jake Parker - ''Music From The Motion Picture The Life Of David Gale'' (Decca 066 733–2) * 2004: Various Artists - ''Gulf Coast Beach Blast'' (Texas Music Group 62) * 2009: David Hamburger - ''Original Soundtrack: Wild Texas Weather'' (Texas Spirit Theater 5637603876 * 2009: Various Artists - ''Daughters of the Alamo'' (Retroworld / Floating World FLOATM 6022) * 2009: Various Artists - ''Sing To Me: a Lullaby Album'' * 2013: Two Tons of Steel - ''Unraveled'' (Smith Music Group 7173)

References

External links