Shemekia Copeland

Biography

Charon Shemekia Copeland (born April 10, 1979) is an American electric blues vocalist. She has released 12 albums, won nine Blues Music Awards, and won five Blues Blast Music Awards. In 2024, Copeland received nominations at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards for Best American Roots Performance, Best American Roots Song, and Best Contemporary Blues Album.

Early life

Copeland was born in Harlem, New York City, United States. She is the daughter of Texas blues guitarist and singer Johnny Copeland. She began singing at an early age and her first public performance was at the Cotton Club when she was about 10. Copeland graduated in 1997 from Teaneck High School in Teaneck, New Jersey.

Career

In 1998, Copeland landed a recording contract with Alligator Records, which issued her debut album, Turn the Heat Up×Turn the Heat Up5 May 1998 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Turn the Heat Up5:212I Always Get My Man3:503Salt in My Wounds4:134Cold Feet4:115Suspicion3:566My Turn Baby4:087Ghetto Child4:068Your Mama's Talking4:219Has Anybody Seen My Man?3:3710Married to the Blues7:1211Big Lovin' Woman3:4312My Kind of Guy3:5013Have Mercy3:2414It Don't Hurt No More7:06!. Her second album, Wicked×Wicked2000 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1It's 2 a.m.4:292Not Tonight3:153Love Scene4:114The Other Woman5:185Whole Lotta Water4:016Beat Up Guitar4:277Miss Hy Ciditty4:238Up on 1-2-55:069Wild, Wild Woman3:2010The Fool You're Looking For5:0811If He Moves His Lips3:3712Steamy Windows5:0413It's My Own Tears6:06, was released in 2000 and featured a duet with Ruth Brown. It earned her three Blues Music Awards.
The follow-up record, Talking to Strangers, was produced by Dr. John, and in 2005 she released The Soul Truth, produced by Steve Cropper.
In 2008, Copeland signed with Telarc International, and released her first album, Never Going Back×Never Going Back24 February 2009 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Sounds Like the Devil3:342Dirty Water4:433Broken World3:424Never Goin' Back to Memphis6:115The Truth Is the Light3:316Black Crow4:107Born a Penny3:288Limousine4:039River's Invitation3:4010Rise Up3:2411Big Brand New Religion3:5612Circumstances3:35, with that label in February 2009. The album was nominated for Best Contemporary Blues Recording at the Blues Blast Music Awards. She won the Rising Star - Blues Artist in the DownBeat Critics Poll announced in the December 2009 issue.
In 2010, Copeland was nominated for Best Female Blues Artist at the Blues Blast Music Awards.
On June 12, 2011 at the Chicago Blues Festival, she was presented Koko Taylor's crown and officially given the honor as the "New Queen of the Blues" by Koko Taylor's daughter, Cookie Taylor.
In 2013, Copeland was nominated for Contemporary Blues Female Artist at the Blues Music Awards. The same year, she received her second nomination for Best Female Blues Artist at the Blues Blast Music Awards.
In October 2015, her album Outskirts of Love×Outskirts of Love11 September 2015 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Outskirts of Love4:052Crossbone Beach3:513Devil's Hand3:434The Battle Is Over (But the War Goes on)3:535Cardboard Box3:016Drivin' Out Of Nashville3:177I Feel a Sin Coming On3:528Isn't That So3:179Jesus Just Left Chicago4:3510Long as I Can See the Light3:2111Wrapped Up in Love Again3:0412Lord, Help the Poor and Needy3:10 peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Top Blues Albums chart. In 2016, she won both the Blues Music Award for Contemporary Blues Female Artist and the Blues Blast Music Award for Best Female Blues Artist. In 2017, she participated in the Mahindra Blues Festival in Mumbai.
In August 2018, her next album, America's Child, entered at number 3 on the Billboard Top Blues Albums chart. The album won both the Album of the Year and Contemporary Album of the Year titles at the Blues Music Awards in 2019. The same year, Copeland received four Blues Blast Music Award nominations, for Album of the Year, Contemporary Blues Album, Contemporary Female Blues Artist, and Instrumentalist - Vocals.
In May 2020, Copeland won her second Blues Music Award for Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year. She won the awards for Contemporary Blues Album and Female Blues Artist at the Blues Blast Music Awards in 2021.
In July 2022, she won the award for Blues Artist of the Year at the annual DownBeat Critics Poll. She released her tenth studio album, Done Come Too Far×Done Come Too Far19 August 2022 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Too Far to Be Gone3:472Pink Turns to Red3:283The Talk5:234Gullah Geechee3:365Why Why Why3:256Fried Catfish and Bibles3:037Done Come Too Far5:088Barefoot in Heaven3:319Fell in Love With a Honky3:1610The Dolls Are Sleeping2:5611Dumb It Down4:0112Nobody but You4:20, on August 19, 2022 In 2023, Copeland won the Instrumentalist - Vocals category at the Blues Music Awards. She also picked up two Blues Blast Music Awards, in the Best Female Blues Artist and Best Vocals categories.
In December 2024, Copeland was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best American Roots Performance and a Grammy Award for Best American Roots Song. Her album Blame it on Eve×Blame It on Eve30 August 2024 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Blame It on Eve4:322Tough Mother4:153Only Miss You All the Time4:104Broken High Heels3:485Wine O'Clock4:036Is There Anybody Up There?3:447Cadillac Blue3:408Belle Sorciere4:329Tell the Devil3:2410Tee Tot Payne3:0811Down on Bended Knee4:3612Heaven Help Us All4:02 was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album.
On March 19, 2025, Copeland's Blame it on Eve was nominated for a Libera Award for Blues Record. On July 7, 2025, Copeland was nominated for another Blues Blast Music Award in the Female Blues Artist category. Copeland won the award on September 20, 2025.

Personal life

Copeland resides in the San Diego area. She lives with her husband Brian Schultz, and her son Johnny (who is named after Copeland’s father).