Thornetta Davis

Detroit-born blues diva Thornetta Davis reluctantly began her career at the age of 15 when, on the encouragement of friends, she made her debut at an area talent show. After forming the vocal group Chanteuse to cover R&B hits by the Pointer Sisters and the Emotions, Davis did not discover the blues until 1986, when she became the backing vocalist for the Motor City band Lamonte Zodiac & the Love Signs, later renamed the Chisel Brothers. In 1991, she was recruited to sing backup for the funk-metal outfit Big Chief, appearing on their Sub Pop label LPs Face and Mack Avenue Skull Game. When the group disbanded, Davis was signed to Sub Pop as a solo performer; after assembling the majority of Big Chief as a backing unit, she recorded her 1996 debut Sunday Morning Music.