Biography
Janiva Magness (born January 30, 1957) is an American blues, soul, and Americana singer, songwriter, and author, widely regarded as one of the leading contemporary blues vocalists of her generation.[1][4] Born in Detroit, Michigan, she grew up immersed in her father’s blues and country records alongside the city’s rich Motown soul sound, influences that would later ground her emotionally direct, groove‑driven style.[1][6] Her early life was marked by severe hardship, including physical and sexual abuse, the suicides of both parents, years spent in foster care, struggles with addiction, and becoming a teenage mother—experiences she later chronicled in her 2019 memoir Weeds Like Us.[4] As a young woman she relocated to Minnesota, studied engineering, and worked in a Saint Paul recording studio, where she was first persuaded to sing backing vocals, leading to early work supporting artists like Kid Ramos and R.L. Burnside and eventually to forming her own band, the Mojomatics, in Phoenix.[1]
Magness moved to Los Angeles in 1986 and began building a reputation on the West Coast blues scene, releasing her debut album More Than Live in 1991 and following it with a string of independent records across the 1990s.[1] A key turn came with her NorthernBlues Music releases Bury Him at the Crossroads (2004) and Do I Move You? (2006), both co‑produced with Colin Linden; the latter reached the Billboard Blues Albums Top 10 and helped establish her internationally.[1] After signing to Alligator Records, she expanded her touring across the U.S., Canada, and Europe and began to incorporate more soul and Americana elements, later crystallized on albums like What Love Will Do (2008), Love Wins Again (2016)—which earned her a Grammy nomination—and Love Is an Army (2018).[1][2][4] Known for an earthy, raw vocal delivery rooted in classic blues, she has increasingly focused on original songwriting, especially on her 2014 album Original and later releases like Hard to Kill (2022), aligning her personal history with songs that blend blues, soul, funk, and Americana.[1][4]
Over the course of her career, Magness has released more than a dozen albums and become one of the most decorated contemporary blues artists, earning seven Blues Music Awards and 29 nominations, including the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year award in 2009—making her only the second woman after Koko Taylor to receive that honor.[1][4] USA Today has described her as a “blues star,” and she is frequently cited as a major modern voice in blues and R&B for her capacity to convey vulnerability, resilience, and hard‑won hope.[1][5] Her crossover into Americana, highlighted by repeated appearances at the Americana Music Conference and Festival in Nashville, reflects both her stylistic versatility and her commitment to storytelling rooted in real‑life struggle and survival.[1][2][4] Alongside her recordings and touring, her memoir and public discussions of trauma, recovery, and foster care have contributed to her broader legacy as an artist who uses blues tradition not only for musical expression but also as a vehicle for personal and social healing.[3][4]
Fun Facts
- Before becoming a professional singer, Janiva Magness studied to be an engineer and worked in a Saint Paul recording studio, where she was first pushed into doing backing vocals—a detour that sparked her full‑time music career.[1]
- She once rode the same city bus in Minneapolis as Prince and remembers seeing him regularly on Hennepin Avenue before he became a major star, during the period when both were circulating in the local club scene.[4]
- Magness is only the second woman ever to receive the Blues Foundation’s prestigious B.B. King Entertainer of the Year award, following legendary blues singer Koko Taylor.[1]
- Her 2019 memoir Weeds Like Us and her album Hard to Kill are intentionally linked projects: the album’s opening track “Strong As Steel” and other songs were written to mirror and expand on the personal stories revealed in the book.[4]
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- Otis Rush - Early blues inspiration whose recordings helped ignite her interest in the blues and shape her vocal and emotional approach. (Influence cited generally, not tied to a specific album; part of the blues canon she absorbed in her formative years.) [Teen years and early adulthood, prior to and during her entry into professional music.[4]]
- Etta James - Foundational vocal and stylistic influence; Magness has cited James’s work as a key inspiration for her own blend of blues and soul and her emotionally honest delivery. (Influence drawn from James’s classic blues and soul recordings rather than a single project.) [Formative listening period before and during the start of her performing career.[4]]
Key Collaborators
- Colin Linden - Co‑producer and musical collaborator who helped shape the sound of her mid‑2000s recordings and contributed guitar and production ideas. (Co‑producer on Bury Him at the Crossroads (2004) and Do I Move You? (2006), which earned them a Canadian Maple Blues Award for Producers of the Year.[1]) [Mid‑2000s]
- Lauren Bliss - Songwriting collaborator closely involved in creating deeply personal, autobiographical material on Hard to Kill. (Co‑writer on multiple songs on Hard to Kill, including the autobiographical opener “Strong As Steel.”[4]) [Early 2020s (around the writing and release of Hard to Kill)]
- Andrew Lowden - Australian songwriter who partnered with Magness on material that connects her life story to her later musical work. (Co‑writer on several tracks on Hard to Kill, working alongside Lauren Bliss.[4]) [Early 2020s]
- Matt Cartsonis - Producer and composer who oversaw the production of Hard to Kill, integrating blues, soul, and funk elements around her voice. (Producer of Hard to Kill and involved in arrangements and overall sonic direction.[4]) [Early 2020s]
- Kid Ramos - Magness initially worked as a backing vocalist for him, giving her early professional stage and studio experience in blues contexts. (Early backing vocal work in live and studio settings before launching her own band.[1]) [Early career, prior to mid‑1980s]
- R.L. Burnside - Another early artist for whom she provided backing vocals, linking her directly to a major figure in modern Mississippi hill country blues. (Backing vocal work in her pre‑band years while she was still working out of Saint Paul and then Phoenix.[1]) [Early career, prior to mid‑1980s]
Artists Influenced
- Kory Montgomery Mack (as referenced "Mack") - Contemporary blues artist from Minneapolis whom Magness has publicly praised as a “wildly talented artist” who has overcome hardships, reflecting her role as an advocate and supporter of emerging blues voices. (No specific recorded collaboration cited; influence is more through mentorship, encouragement, and recognition within the blues community.[4]) [2010s (around the time Magness encountered her performing in Memphis at the International Blues Competition)[4]]
Connection Network
Discography
Albums
| Title | Release Date | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Original | 2014-06-24 | Album |
| Stronger For It | 2012-03-13 | Album |
| Change in the Weather - Janiva Magness Sings John Fogerty | 2019-09-13 | Album |
| What Love Will Do | 2008-06-10 | Album |
| Do I Move You | 2006-05-12 | Album |
| The Devil Is An Angel Too | 2010-04-13 | Album |
| Love Wins Again | 2016-04-08 | Album |
| Change in the Weather: Janiva Magness Sings John Fogerty | 2019-09-13 | Album |
| Love Is an Army | 2018-02-23 | Album |
| Back For Me | 2025-03-28 | Album |
| Do I Move You? | 2006 | Album |
| Love is an Army | 2018-02-23 | Album |
| Love Wins Again | 2016-04-08 | Album |
| Heard the Lie | 2018-08-31 | Album |
| Hard to Kill | 2022-06-24 | Album |
Top Tracks
- Let Me Breathe (Original)
- When You Were My King (Original)
- I Won't Cry (Stronger For It)
- Holes
- You Were Never Mine (Do I Move You)
- Holes
- Hittin' On Nothin'
- Mountain (Original)
- I'm Feelin' Good (The Devil Is An Angel Too)
- Hittin' On Nothin'
External Links
References
Heard on WWOZ
Janiva Magness has been played 1 time on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.
| Date | Time | Title | Show | Spotify |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 12, 2025 | 20:16 | I`m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Dofrom The Devil Is An Angel Too | Music of Mass Distractionw/ Black Mold |