Toni Lynn Washington; photo credit: Jimdad Kenney
She has been called the queen of the Boston blues scene. She’s received many award nominations from Memphis. Toni Lynn Washington is a girl on the go. While she might not qualify as a girl at age 82, she still chats with youthful energy, and she still plays out with the spirit of a young touring musician. Ms. Washington was born in Southern Pines, North Carolina where she was raised in her church up until age 13. That was her training ground where she sang in her children choir. Her family eventually relocated to Boston.
“I did some gospel singing here in the Boston area,” she said on the telephone from her Boston home. “I was also married to a Navy man. I did a lot of traveling with him. Wherever he was stationed, I would go to the church and join the gospel choir there.”
While she was married to her Navy husband, Ms. Washington went on several USO tours, in and out of South East Asia, Vietnam, and Okinawa. “We did quite a few of those, entertaining our troops,” she said. “That was in the 70s. I think we were the last USO show out of Vietnam in 1975. I believe that’s when the war ended. All the other times, we would go over and stay for a few weeks. Then come back and stay for a few weeks. We entertained the troops wherever they were.”
Toni Lynn Washington; photo credit: Jimdad Kenney
Ms. Washington felt duty bound to make those mission tours to entertain the armed forces. “It was an honor,” she said. “They treated us like treasure, and they were happy to see us. It was an enjoyable thing. Sometimes it was pretty frightening because there was a war going on over there, but we still went back and forth.”
Ms. Washington racked up several WC Handy and Blues Foundation nominations over the years. Yet, she remains humble. “I’m speechless,” she said. “I’m just grateful. My opinion? I’ve heard other artists who are a lot more talented than me. To get all of these recognitions is just an honor for me.”
Ms. Washington made three albums for the Tonecool blues label before getting on the Canadian blues label Northern Blues and her most recent, 2015’s I Wanna Dance was released by the Regina Royale Records..
“That put me back on the map because it had been a while since I was in the recording studio,” she said. “’I Wanna Dance’ is a tune I wrote when we were on the road in Amsterdam in my hotel room. Sometimes I do my writing when I’m out there. I can concentrate better. I’m not that good at writing, but when I do write in a hotel room, things come to me a lot better than it is when I’m a home because I have so many others things to do at home.”
Two of the songs on I Wanna Dance were written by Ms. Washington. The other seven songs were standards. “I wanted to take some of the tunes that were recorded by artists back in the day and put new treatment to it. With the help of Gordon Beadle and Bruce Bears. It was a labor of love and everybody participated. I think it came out pretty well. We recorded it down at Club 39(Studio in Sudbury, Massachusetts) with (producer) Bill Smith. He did a marvelous job on it.”
Ms. Washington will be appearing at Barnful of Blues Festival in New Boston, New Hampshire on August 4th, making an unusual stop in the Granite Stage. Though she wasn‘t sure how she go onto that New Hampshire blues festival line up, she recalls the association began at a radio show. Granite State Blues Society board member and publisher of Blues Audience Newsletter Diana Shonk, a personal friend of Ms. Washington’s, set it up.
“I get around the New England area pretty much. In New Hampshire, I’m not sure I have anything there except the Barnful Of Blues, and then I’m going for a camp in September. I will be there for a few days teaching vocal techniques.”
This could be the beginning of a northern wave for Ms. Washington. “I don’t see anything (else) on the books for New Hampshire,” she said. “Most of the gigs are around the Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut places like that. It would be nice to get more gigs in New Hampshire. That would be great and Maine as well.” Blues fans and blues promoters, bookers, DJs, and music journalists like her everywhere she goes. She is booked seemingly everywhere.
Toni Lynn Washington at HeatherFest; photo credit: Bill Copeland
Ms. Washington is also slated to perform onboard a boat cruising the Merrimack Ricer in Newburyport, Massachusetts, part of Joe Laite’s Newburyport Blues N Cruise. “It’s a fun gig. I’ve done it before, and I’m looking forward to doing it again. The band is outstanding. It’s a really cool gig.”
Newburyport Blues N Cruise organizer Laite gave insight as to why he selected Ms. Washington to perform onboard his events. “She is iconic and last of her generation, certainly in Boston and New England, perhaps everywhere,” Laite said.
HeatherFest, the annual Norton, Massachusetts backyard party gone wild, hosted by blues aficionado Heather McKibben, has featured Toni Lynn Washington for over 20 years. “I was the first one to do HeatherFest,” she said. “I’ve done each and every one of them. I think I may have missed one and that was years ago. But (McKibben) has invited me to do them every single year. It has really grown. I go on early so I can enjoy the rest of the day. I stay all day. It’s a family day. There’s lots of food, blues bands, and there’s lots of motorcycles and busses. It’s a fun place to be. I look forward to it every year.”
Ms Washington said that being an octogenarian is not any hindrance to her music career. “Oh, no. I’m good,” she said. “To tell the truth, I get a lot of help when I am on gigs. People are very forthcoming in helping me on and off the stage and making sure I get everything I need. There’s no difficulty at all, and my health is very good. I feel like I’m in my prime.”
https://www.facebook.com/events/233596494071567/
https://www.facebook.com/NewburyportBluesCruise/
https://www.facebook.com/HeatherFest-91302407746/
https://myspace.com/thetonilynnwashingtonband
https://www.amazon.com/Wanna-Dance-Toni-Lynn-Washington/dp/B0142WYC3C
