Shemekia Copeland "It's 2 AM - Do You Know Where Your Baby Is?"

Shemekia Copeland brings down the house with her encore at Wilebski's Blues Saloon in St. Paul, MN on 4-14-2011. Bessie Smith was "The Empress of the Blues." Koko Taylor is "The Queen of the Blues" - but she's 82. Etta James is in her 70's. Ruth Brown died in 2006. So who is the next female blues royalty? I'd argue for Shemekia. Though she's only 32, she's been working a lot of years. She started touring at 16 and cut her first album at 19. Big voice, big stage presense... historical connections (her father, Johnny Copeland, was a well known blues guitarist and singer). This is one talented lady!

Added 22 May 2026