December 1
Sheila Kay Quartet
Sheila “Kay” Blackwell-vocals; Beth Wulff-piano; Jim Wulff- drums; Mikel Rollins-sax
 
Sheila “Kay” Blackwell, born in Galesburg Illinois in 1964. It is small town in southern Illinois and that is where she fell in love with music. One of her first memories as a child is her dad playing “Sly and the Family Stone’s” “It’s a Family Affair” and singing into the small silver Panasonic microphone. She knew then that she wanted to sing. Sheila has been singing professionally for 20 + years and although she knew she loved singing, it was when her mother decided to pack up the kids and move to Seattle in the early 70’s, That she learned how to sing. They joined a Pentecostal church and she joined the choir. Sheila learned how to sing gospel and harmonize. She caught on quickly and found it was natural. Sheila was never fortunate enough to attend college to study music but learned all she could in School and attended a vocational school in the 80’s for broadcasting/Communications and worked for 3 years on the air as a live radio personality. However, singing and performing has always been at the forefront of her heart. She took the time to raise her family and now is pursuing her dreams.  Sheila has performed in Dark Diva’s, 12 Days of Christmas at Renton Civic Theater, Hairspray at Auburn Ave Theater as “Motormouth Maybelle” and as Adaperle in “The Wiz” at Tacoma Musical Playhouse. She has also performed in Intiman’s “Black Nativity.” She was previously in “The Color Purple,” “Ragtime,” “Shrek” The musical, and most recently “The Drowsy Chaperone and Folk Life Festival. Sheila co-hosts a live open mic once a month in Columbia City for Sistas Rock the Arts and is an advocate for local artists. Sheila continues to sing Jazz, R&B and Blues in various venues in the Puget Sound area.