Always the Queen

As a music enthusiast, it wasn't a hard decision to pick up a book about Denise LaSalle and her journey to becoming the Queen of Blues. From a small farm on an island in Mississippi to the nightclubs of Chicago and back down to Memphis, Tennessee, Denise's story was captivating and conversational. I enjoyed the peak into how the music scene evolved as she told her story and encountered different people in the industry. It was also inspiring to read a story about a woman who really took charge of her own future and managed herself, especially in a time when that didn't seem to be common. This novel was a true encouragement to follow your dreams unabashedly and unafraid.

I came to Denise LaSalle's music in the latter part of her career, so I was surprised to find that she saw herself as a soul singer before she was ever a blues singer. I was delighted to see she was friends with some of my favorite blues musicians, e.g., Millie Jackson, Bobby Rush and blown away when I found out she wrote ZZ Hill's Someone Else is Steppin' In.

Written in a conversational tone, Always the Queen felt like I was sitting at my aunt's house listening to her reminisce about her version of the good old days, whether factual or as she remembered them. At times, I hard a difficult time determining whether the events Ms LaSalle wrote about were real or simply embellishments. Regardless, this was a quick and enjoyable read for anyone familiar with her music and her many business adventures.

‘Always the Queen: The Denise LaSalle Story’ is the fascinating new memoir from the recently deceased American singer. As a fan of blues, and soul music, I’ve come across the work of LaSalle on a few occasions and was excited by the opportunity to delve into the life story of this musical powerhouse.
The story in narrated by LaSalle herself and told in a conversational manner, making it a particularly easy and quick read. It was enjoyable to read of her attending shows by so many of the great names such as Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole etc., while working towards one day becoming a famous entertainer in her own right.
Although, LaSalle speaks of her deep love for her family and her role as ‘Mama’ to a large number of godchildren and adopted (both formally and non-officially) children, it seemed a little strange that she choose to focus solely on her career in this memoir, with little reference to her own parents and siblings.

Definitely worth a read if you have an interest in the music genres covered by LaSalle and also to discover the great determination of one woman – she writes of how she would sing what she wanted to sing, would say what she wanted to say etc. One tough lady and an inspiration in many ways.

I received a free ARC of this book from the University of Illinois Press via Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Thank you for allowing me to read this book being that I absolutely love this musician. I was true amazed at her story and so sorry I never got a chance to see her in concert before she passed away

Always The Queen, The Denise LaSalle Story
Denise LaSalle and David Whiteis
Reads like the reader is sitting at the feet of the queen, or relaxing in a Blues club, enthralled by the lady herself sharing her life story from her childhood in Mississippi where her family were sharecroppers, moving to Chicago where her brother and his wife lived to get a job and enjoy the freedom to start her own live and find her own destiny.
The undisputed and indomitable queen of soul-blues whose main influences were country music and blues, was also a prolific songwriter who wrote for others. Her own hits included Trapped By A Thing Called Love, Now Run And Tell That, and Man Sized Job.
LaSalle did not just get on stage and sing the songs. She served up a feast of entertainment. Talking to the crowd, telling stories leading in to the song as the band vamped to heighten the groove, turning it into a medley as the story evolved, and all the while clocking her audience to see if they were in the pocket and needing more or if that particular room wasn’t quite hip enough and a detour was needed.
So many stories have emerged about musical artists of her generation that were cheated out of royalties, pay, opportunities, credit and the like, it seemed to hit female and black artists even worse. LaSalle didn’t always get her due, but she was savvy enough to watch out for her own self-interests and correct where she could and leave when she couldn’t.
This Queen had a generous heart, sometimes too much, taking in and raising children, mentoring other artists and boosting their careers, and always giving her all to her audience.
This is a queen sized story, and we were blessed to be her subjects.

Always the Queen was a pretty good book. It was written in a conversational pattern which allowed it to flow pretty well. I like when La Salle said things such as 'oh Lordy'; it made me feel as if I was having a talk with my grandmother. I also liked the vivid descriptions provided of how she grew up in the country. This is a good book for anyone interested in breaking into the music business, especially women. La salle constantly had to deal with not being given credit for her work and music industry professionals (mostly men) attempting to lock her into shady deals. Although the technology has changed when it comes to how music is created, some things, especially artistic theft, remain the same.

I am not a Blues fan, so I had not heard of this singer until I read this book. The book chronicles the singer's life starting with her childhood back in Mississippi, and her eventual moves to Chicago and Memphis. She, along with her co author, talks about her life through her career, marriages and relationships and eventually her health issues. This was a very good and enjoyable read.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Honestly, I'm not the biggest fan of memoirs, but I LOVED this one as it rates right up there with ones done by Diahann Carroll and Gladys Knight . The book was penned with a layer of complexity and simplicity in the same way Ms. LaSalle delivered those soul-stirring songs.