Sue Foley (born March 29, 1968)[1] is a Canadian
blues guitarist and singer. She has released 15 albums since her debut with Young Girl Blues (1992). In May 2020, Foley won her first
Blues Music Award, in the 'Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female)' category.
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 where she formed The Sue Foley Band and toured Canada.[2] In 1988–1989, the Sue Foley Band teamed with
Mark Hummel to tour across the United States, Canada and Europe as well as recording an album. The collaboration lasted a little over a year with 300 dates on the road in 1989.
Clifford Antone saw Foley sitting in with
Duke Robillard while the band was in Memphis for the
W.C. Handy Awards that year.
Career
By age of 21, Foley was living in
Austin, Texas, United States,[3] and recording for
Antone's, the blues label and historic nightclub. Her first release was Young Girl Blues.[4]
In 2001, Foley won the
Juno Award for her CD, Love Coming Down.[5] Foley has also earned seventeen
Maple Blues Awards and three Trophees de Blues de France. She has also garnered several nominations at the
Blues Music Awards in Memphis, Tennessee.[6]
In May 2020, Foley won a Blues Music Award in the 'Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female)' category.[7] In 2023, Foley won the Koko Taylor Award for the second time.[8]
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"