Introduction
Sue Foley (born March 29, 1968) is a Canadian blues singer and guitarist.
Early life
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 and joined an all-female band (The Dots). Then she formed The Sue Foley Band and toured Canada.
Career
By age twenty-one, Foley was living in Austin, Texas and recording for Antone’s, the blues label and historic nightclub. Her first release was Young Girl Blues.
Foley has toured steadily with her band, toting her signature pink paisley Fender Telecaster. In 2001, Sue won the Juno Award for her CD, Love Coming Down. Foley has also earned seventeen Maple Blues Awards and three Trophees de Blues de France. She has also garnered several nominations at the International Blues Music Awards in Memphis, Tennessee.
Foley collaborated on two albums with American blues guitarist Peter Karp, He Said She Said in 2010 and Beyond the Crossroads in 2012. They toured in the US in support of the albums. The pair later decided to release a two album set, Karp's The Arson's Match and Foley's Change, and provide them as downloads on the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation's website in exchange for a donation to the Foundation.
Discography
As leader/co-leader
- 1992: Young Girl Blues (Antone's)
- 1993: Without a Warning (Antone's)
- 1995: Big City Blues (Antone's)
- 1996: Walk in the Sun (Antone's)
- 1998: Ten Days in November (Shanachie)
- 2000: Love Comin' Down (Shanachie)
- 2000: Back to the Blues [also released as Secret Weapon] (Antone's)
- 2002: Where the Action Is... (Shanachie)
- 2004: Change (Ruf)
- 2006: New Used Car (Ruf)
- 2007: Time Bomb (with Deborah Coleman, Roxanne Potvin) (Ruf)
- 2009: Queen Bee: The Antone's Collection (Floating World) compilation
- 2010: He Said She Said (with Peter Karp) (Blind Pig)
- 2012: Beyond The Crossroads (with Peter Karp) (Blind Pig)
As primary artist on other albums
- 1991: Various Artists - KLBJ FM's Local Licks Live 1990 (KLBJ) - track 15, "Walking Home"
- 1994: Various Artists - Brace Yourself! A Tribute To Otis Blackwell (Shanachie) - track 11, "Great Balls Of Fire" with Joe Ely
- 1995: Various Artists - Bluesiana Hurricane (Shanachie) featuring R&B Legends: Rufus Thomas, Bill Doggett, Jazz Legends: Lester Bowie, Bobby Watson, Rock Legends: Chuck Rainey, Will Calhoun
- 2000: Various Artists: Public Domain (Purchase) - track 3, "Going Away Blues"
- 2000: Various Artists - Dealin' With the Devil: Songs of Robert Johnson (Cannonball) - track 7, "From Four Until Late"
- 2002: The Blues: From Yesterday's Masters To Today's Cutting Edge (American Roots Songbook Series), (Shanachie, as licensed to St. Clair Entertainment)
- 2002: Various Artists - Preachin' the Blues: The Music of Mississippi Fred McDowell (Telarc) - track 8, "Frisco Line"
- 2003: Various Artists - Blues On Blonde On Blonde (Telarc) - track 2, "Most Likely You'll Go Your Way And I'll Go Mine"
- 2006: Saturday Night Blues: 20 Years, (CBC/Universal Music Group)
As guest musician on other albums
- 1994: Mark Hummel - Feel Like Rockin' (Flying Fish / Rounder)
- 1995: Wayne Hancock - Thunderstorms and Neon Signs (Dejadisc)
- 1998: Lazy Lester - All Over You (Antone's)
- 2001: Lazy Lester - Blues Stop Knockin' (Antone's)
- 2003: Big Dave McLean - Blues from the Middle (Stony Plain)
- 2004: Blackie and the Rodeo Kings - Bark (True North)
- 2007: Candye Kane - Guitar'd And Feathered (Ruf Records)
- 2007: Michael Jerome Browne - Double (Borealis)
- 2007: Southside Steve Marriner - Going Up (Dog My Cat)
Filmography
- 2005: Sue Foley - Live in Europe (Ruf) DVD
- 2010: Sue Foley - Guitar Woman (Alfred's Artist Series/Instructional) DVD