Sista Monica Parker

Biography

Sista Monica Parker (born Monica C. Parker, April 27, 1956 – October 9, 2014) was an American electric blues, blues rock, gospel and soul singer, songwriter, and record producer.
Her influences included Al Green, Aretha Franklin, the Staple Singers, Jackie Wilson, and Sam Cooke. She wrote most of her material, and released eleven albums in her lifetime. Parker shared the stage with a number of musicians over her performing lifetime including B.B. King, India Arie, Gladys Knight, Etta James, Koko Taylor, Susan Tedeschi, Elvin Bishop, Mavis Staples and the Staple Singers, the Neville Brothers, and John Lee Hooker.
In 2015, she posthumously won a Blues Music Award in the 'Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year' category.

Life and career

Born in Gary, Indiana, United States, Parker began singing in her local Baptist church at the age of seven. After college, Parker joined the United States Marine Corps and after three years of service rose the rank of sergeant. Once her military service between 1977 and 1980 ended, Parker set up a staffing company, initially based in Chicago, aimed at electrical engineering professions. After moving the business to Silicon Valley she acquired clients which included Apple Inc., Hewlett-Packard, Sun Microsystems and Yahoo!. Encouraged by her then neighbor MC Hammer, Parker started a singing career in 1992 performing regularly at Emi's Bar & Grille in Santa Cruz, California. By 1995 she released her debut album, Get Out of My Way, on her own independent record label, Mo Muscle Records. Her track "Windy City Burner" was played on the radio and it helped promote her initial touring around the US, Canada and parts of Europe. Her follow-up album, Sista Monica×Sista Monica1997 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1What Difference Does It Make?4:002The Sista Don't Play4:243I'm Falling Anyway4:044How Long Does It Take5:135Festival Time Boogie3:436Stop Talking Bout Me Stalking You4:377Never Say Never4:538I Been Bamboozled3:409I Don't Want to Hurt You Baby6:3110Don't Come Around4:0211Where Is My Teddy (dance Jam)7:2212Where Is My Teddy (radio edit)3:5013I'm Unhappy You're Unhappy With Me4:2014Motherless Child / Amazing Grace3:15 was released in 1997.
In 1998, Parker was nominated for a Blues Music Award and was successful in gaining a California Music Award. Her 2000 album, People Love the Blues×People Love the Blues2000 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1You Got To Pay4:162Wou're Only Good for One Thang Baby3:283A Chance to Breathe6:534Baby Workout3:295Ken "Big Papa" Baker Blows #10:536Honey It's Your Fault5:337It's Not What You Say4:008It's a Shame, It's a Mystery4:509Somebody Gonna Give Up Something Tonight3:3610Ken "Big Papa" Baker Blows #21:0511People Love the Blues3:2212The Walking Wounded5:3013Put Your Shoe on the Other Foot4:4814Walk Around Heaven All Day1:48 included guest appearances from blues guitarists Jimmy Thackery and Larry McCray.
Gimme That Old Time Religion (2001) was her first gospel release, which was followed by Live in Europe the same year. The latter was recorded in Peer, Belgium. It was her performances in the late 1990s in Europe that gained her the nickname, "the Blues Lioness." In 2002 she performed at the Monterey Bay Blues Festival, but late that year was diagnosed as suffering from the rare ailment of synovial sarcoma. She was initially given three months to live. Bouts of chemotherapy, radiation and therapy ensued before she returned to the recording studio and issued Love, Soul & Spirit, Vol. 1 in 2004. Parker initiated a 40-voice choir called the Sista Monica Gospel & Inspirational Choir, a musical ensemble comprising people of various faiths.
In 2005, Can't Keep a Good Woman Down included cover versions of Willie Nelson's "Funny How Time Slips Away" and Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come." Sweet Inspirations was issued in 2008 when Parker was again the disc's producer.
Living in the Danger Zone (2011) saw Parker include Kelley Hunt in a vocal and piano duet.
Her festival and other event appearances included the San Francisco Blues Festival (1995 and 1997), Monterey Jazz Festival (1998), Notodden Blues Festival (1999), Edmonton's Labatt Blues Festival (2004), and Blue Bear Live II (2007).

Death

Parker died from lung cancer in Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Modesto, California, on October 9, 2014. She was 58.