ION INDIE MAGAZINE October 2014, Volume 5 | Page 17

Summer sizzled more than usual on a hot August
night in Colorado during a rare appearance by a
seasoned Blues singer and guitarist who rolled
through my city. Some of you may not immediately
recognize her name or her face. Chances are that
you have heard her original songs and work on
various movie soundtracks. Maybe you have seen
her on stage with some of our generation’s most
influential and prolific performers.
In fact, she has been inducted into the “Gulf Coast
Music Hall of Fame”, and rocked side by side and
traveled the world with MICHAEL JACKSON on
“The Dangerous World Tour”. There are dozens
of her videos on YouTube, including a LIVE
extended version of “Handle You With Care” with
CANNED HEAT. It is one of her original songs.
You may upload that and many more on your iPod
once you’ve listened to her!

Photo credit: Yvonne Day

A girl from Port Arthur, Texas, who now lives in the
Los Angeles area, may have raised the bar and set
new standards for women in Rock and Blues long
before realizing the impact that her sultry voice,
blistering guitar solos and elaborate costumes
would have on future generations. She is BECKY
BARKSDALE.

Truly, Becky is more than a singer, songwriter and performer. Becky is an architect of bold, yet soulful and emotionally driven
lyrics--that when executed with her guitar, skills and vast experience, translate to an exhilarating stage show that may leave
you breathless and in awe of her commanding presence.
She takes off her shoes and gets all “fired up” when performing. You cannot help but get carried away in her moment--and it
is HER moment--which lingers long after the show has ended. Becky Barksdale, while rocking on stage with seemingly
effortless guitar strokes, is comparable to lighting a fuse and watching the fireworks fly.
I had the chance to talk with her and found Becky to be an earthy, very direct, intelligent and a FUN person to be around. On
stage she has a sexy delivery. Off stage, when she takes time to unplug and unwind, Becky likes playing with her dog and to
dabble a bit in painting.
All of us are touched by music in some way. It’s the one thing that no matter what age, race or religion, we most certainly all
have in common: the love of music. To cover all the bases, I asked at what age she made her first public appearance and
what was her instrument of choice: