Candye Kane

Candye Kane is an American singer, songwriter and performer best known in the Blues and Jazz genre. [1] She is also famous for her past as a adult film star. She has been included in the Rolling Stone Guide to Jazz and Blues, Elwoods blues by Dan Aykroyd, The Blueshound Guide to Blues, The All Music Guide and several other blues books and periodicals. She was included on the 30 Essential Women of the Blues CD set released by the House of Blues record label and the Rock for Choice compilation. She also appears along with her L.A. country music contemporaries, Lucinda Williams and Dwight Yoakam on a Town South of Bakersfield on Enigma records. Kane is also a frequent talk show guest.
Contents
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* 1 Personal life
* 2 Talk show guest
* 3 Songwriting
* 4 Current career and touring
* 5 Awards
* 6 References
* 7 See also
* 8 External links

[edit] Personal life

She has two grown sons, one of whom - Evan Caleb - plays drums in her road band.

She had a difficult childhood marked by a missing father and a verbally abusive mother who taught her to shoplift at the age of nine. She was raised in East Los Angeles and dabbled in the gang culture. She became an unwed mother at the age of 17 and had brief stint in the adult entertainment business. She became part of the punk rock music scene of the early 1980s. She started country punk bands and befriended and shared the stage with musicians as diverse as Fear, Black Flag, Social Distortion, Top Jimmy and the Rhythm Pigs, The Screamin Sirens, Tex and the Horseheads, James Harman, The Circle Jerks, Los Lobos, The Bags, The Blasters, The Gears, Lone Justice and Dwight Yoakum.

From 1983-1986, she appeared on the cover of several adult magazines including Juggs and High Society. She was also a regular contributor to Gent as an advice columnist and made several X-rated videos.

She appears often at Gay Pride festivals worldwide and identifies openly as a bisexual.[2]

[edit] Talk show guest

Her background as an L.A. punk rock anarchist and her outspoken activism for the disenfranchised make her a sought after talk show guest and interviewee. She has appeared on Donny and Marie, Penn and Tellers Sin City Spectacular, Queen Latifah, Roseanne, Maury Povich, Montel Williams, Leeza Gibbons, The Point with Greta Van Susteran, MTV News and HBO Sexbytes.

[edit] Songwriting

Kane is a composer and writer of songs such as "The Toughest Girl Alive" on the Hidden Palms series for the CW network, "Who do you love? Its alright" nominated for an OUT music award, "200 Pounds of Fun" featured in the motion picture, The Girl Next Door; "For Your Love" included on an episode of the Chris Isaak show; "Please Tell me a Lie" in the motion picture Heavy starring Deborah Harry; "You need a Great Big Woman to show you how to love" on the Oxygen Network series, Strong Medicine; "The Lord was a Woman", recorded by comedienne Judy Tenuta are just a few titles from Candye’s abundant catalog of original music.

In 1985, she caught the attention of CBS/Epic A&R Head, Larry Hanby. She was signed to a developmental deal and recorded her first demo with Grammy Winner Val Garay. Kane was initially marketed as a country singer but CBS dropped her when they found out about her controversial past.[3] Managers and agents encouraged her to lose weight, renounce her past and change everything about herself.

In 1986, she moved from Los Angeles to a sleepy beach community in San Diego. She got married to bass player Thomas Yearsley of rockabilly power trio The Paladins, gave birth to another son, and became a Women's Studies Major at Palomar Community College. She continued to write songs and accidentally discovered the brash blues stylings of Big Maybelle, Ruth Brown, Big Mama Thornton, Etta James and Bessie Smith. She identified with the blues as a kind of music in which women had colorful pasts - many were plus-sized, most had grown up in oppressive, horrible circumstances and yet were still able to make music and celebrate their sexual lives. Kane began singing the blues.

In 1991, she self-released Burlesque Swing, her first recording since A Town South of Bakersfield. In 1992 was signed by Clifford Antone to a record deal with Antones records. Her first cd, Home Cookin’ was produced by Cesar Rosas of Los Lobos and Dave Gonzales' and Thomas Yearsley of the Paladins. It was released in 1992 followed by Knock Out. She then signed with Discovery records releasing Diva La Grande, produced by Dave Alvin and Derek O'Brien. Next, she was signed by record mogul Seymour Stein during the height of the swing revival. She released Swango which was produced by Mike Vernon for Sire/London Records (her only major label debut to date.) This was followed by Kane's Rounder/Bullseye release, "The Toughest Girl Alive" produced by Scott Billington. Now Kane is signed to Germany based RUF records. Subsequent titles include Whole Lotta Love produced by Val Garay and White Trash Girl produced in Austin by Mark Kaz Kazanoff.

[edit] Current career and touring

Her eighth CD, released in May 2007, Guitar’d and Feathered features performances by Candye’s closest guitar playing pals. Ana Popovic, Sue Foley, Junior Watson, Dave Alvin, Popa Chubby, Bob Brozman, Kid Ramos, Jeff Ross and Heine Andersen. Produced by former Muddy Waters guitarist, Bob Margolin who also lends his guitar skills to the works.

Kane tours worldwide more than 250 days a year. She has appeared in countless countries and on many prestigious festivals including the Ascona jazz Festival, Midem. The Paleo Festival, The Monterey Jazz Festival, The Dubai Jazz festival, The Waterfront Blues Festival, the Notodden Blues festival and many, many more. She has played for the President of Italy at the French Embassy in Rome and at the Cannes Film Festival. Her music is often featured on Bluesville on XM radio.

Drag queens around the world wide plan to perform Kane's material, including lip synching her songs on the CW network show Hidden Palms on July 11, 2007. Has a petition on Her website against John waters refusal to allow Her to release His song "Female Trouble" on Her latest cd.

[edit] Awards

Kane has won numerous awards, including the Best Blues Band award at the San Diego Music Awards 7 times, including in 2006. Other recent honors include winning an OUT music award in 2006 for Best Art Design for her 7th CD, White Trash Girl; Best Blues CD of 2005 at the San Diego Music Awards; the Trophees France International Award 2004 for Best International Blues Chanteuse and Artist of the Year. She also unseated Jewel for Artist of the Year at the San Diego Music Awards and won the California Music Award for Best Swing-Cabaret Artist. In May 2007, Kane won an award for Best Original Blues composition by the West coast Songwriters Association for her song, "I'm my own worst enemy".