We were lucky to catch up with Lady J Huston recently and have shared our conversation below.
Lady J, appreciate you joining us today. The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?
My mother Loyce P. Huston performed extensively in St. Louis as a contralto vocalist song stylist of jazz, blues and the American songbook. I tagged along behind her at rehearsals in awe. I was a great dancer as a child so she started booking me on her produced shows, talent shows and other events. I would place in the talent shows and win money. I was also performing in night clubs and getting paid. At one show, people started throwing money on the stage. Mother was in the wings urging me to pick it up. I refused and just kept dancing. I thought that was a rude gesture. When my segment ended with the band, I left the stage and saw mother collecting all the money off the stage floor. I reached my hand out to receive it which she declined to give it to me. From then on, I picked up my own thrown money on the stage tips.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I was very interested in instruments since kindergarten. The first performance was playing the Triangle in a school production which I took very seriously. My mother kept music playing around the house. My first memory is jumping up and down moved by the music. I danced a lot and recall my Aunt Joyce lifting me on a table to dance for her friends during an outing. They were cheering me on which made me feel great and happy to see them enjoying themselves. I started singing and dancing in talent shows winning many and it became my hustle for making money. I played the tenor drum in grade school and marched in the band. From there, I started playing the trumpet at Central High School and several Drum Corps. I joined Central’s choir singing in the low ranges until the music teacher heard me goofing off squealing high notes. He moved me to the soprano section which helped me develop a very wide vocal range. I graduated Valedictorian and voted the Most Talented Female. I accepted academic and music scholarships to the University of Kansas and Howard University. I earned a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from Redlands University (CA).
Between college, I performed with Johnnie Johnson “The Father of Rock ‘n Roll Piano” on Laclede’s Landing. From there at 18-years old, I toured as performer, then music director with Albert King, Blues Hall of Fame and Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame awardee. During those years I met and performed on the same stages with greats like B.B. King, Bobby Blue Bland, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Etta James and more.
I eventually moved to Las Vegas, NV where I settled for 25 years. I won multiple Las Vegas Black Music Awards and was heralded as the Las Vegas Queen of Blues. My band opened for national touring acts and played at amazing resorts, a floating stage and showrooms.
I returned to St. Louis due to a major health crisis without a great prognosis. Thankfully the advanced medical community resources helped me to regain my footing and return to the stage. My tagline is: “THE LADY J HUSTON SHOW is an electrifying blend of Las Vegas pizzazz with the sass of St. Louis Blues, Classic Soul & Jazz. The band members also showcase their talents providing an array of unquestionable, foot-tapping fun that audiences love.” I’m different in many ways as a female playing a predominantly male instrument, the trumpet; being a female bandleader, and a vocalist who knows music theory. Sometimes that presents a challenge for men.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the joy I see in the faces of the audience. The warmth and heartfelt stories I hear after the show gives me an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. There’s so much negativity and stress in the world. If I’m successful in taking people’s minds off of those stressors, I feel that I’ve accomplished my mission. Music is one of those God-given talents that allows you to connect to people in an amazing and delicate way. I don’t take this for granted and do my best to show my appreciation to every kind word received.
How did you build your audience on social media?
We can’t get away from it, social media is here to stay, so it’s a waste of time to fight it. I encourage artists to engage with their online audience as if they were together at a show or just hanging out casually. I find it is great for marketing your events. I started on My Space (age giveaway). I then moved to Facebook which is where I have the largest audiences. I have a personal page and a Lady J Huston business page. On my personal page, most of my posts are public and it has the most followers. I’m trying to get that audience to my business page as it offers a lot of statistical analysis that is extremely helpful. I do more silliness on my personal page and have been told I need to show that side on my business page too. I’m hesitant to do that though. I don’t really want to see potential agents see me talking to horses and doing chair dance lip syncing to James Brown!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ladyjhuston.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/ladyjhuston
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ladyjhuston
- Linkedin: https://linktr.ee/ladyjhuston
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ladyjhuston
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/ladyjhuston
- SoundCloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/FPNVQ
- Other: AirPlay Direct: http://airplaydirect.com/LadyJHustonGrooveMeBaby
Image Credits
Lady J Huston, Charles Johnston, Reed Radcliffe, Z. Lipsky