I am a native of Oakland, California. I started singing in church at a very young age, playing piano and directing and teaching songs to various choirs at my church. I attended college in Dallas, Texas graduating with a Bachelors degree in elementary education but music was and always has been my first love. When I am not singing, I work as a legal secretary. Through church, I became best friends with one of the original background singers, Gloria Jones, which gave me the opportunity to attend a lot of concerts. As a result I became familiar with quite a bit of the Jerry Garcia Band material which at the time I did not know would come in handy. When one of the original background members left the group, my friend Shirley Starks, started singing with Melvin and Gloria. When Gloria left I became her replacement and the rest is history. I have known Melvin since our teen years in and around the church environment and am thrilled for such a long lasting friendship and also to be able to sing with him on a professional level. Jerry’s music is phenomenal and I hope to sing his music for years to come.
