Ms. Jody - I'm Doin' My Thang (2018)

An R&B vocalist who puts her own contemporary spin on classic Southern soul, Ms. Jody has become a favorite in blues and soul circles for her often witty songs that speak the truth about life and love. Ms. Jody is the stage name of Joanne Vertie Delapaz, who was born in Chicago, Illinois on November 10, 1957. When Delapaz was two years old, her family moved to Bay Springs, Mississippi, where she still lives today. Her father was a minister, and she grew up on gospel music. Delapaz says she's been singing as far back as she can remember; growing up in the country, she would sing to the birds and animals as a child, and in 1975 she graduated to performing in her dad's church. Delapaz sang in church for over two decades, but after the death of her father and the end of her first marriage, she dropped out of music for a while.

In 2004, Delapaz attended a blues show with her brother that was headlined by Denise LaSalle; Delapaz enjoyed the show and went home inspired to give singing R&B a try. After learning the ropes of singing, Delapaz struck up a friendship with the members of a local R&B group called Total Control. The musicians put Delapaz in contact with Morris J. Williams, a songwriter and producer who often worked with the Southern soul label Ecko Records. With Williams' help, Delapaz made her first demo recordings, and then dropped by the Ecko Records offices to give them a copy. The Ecko staff quickly decided Delapaz was just the sort of artist they were looking for, and struck a deal with her.

Adopting the stage name Ms. Jody, her first album, You're My Angel, was released by Ecko in March 2006, and her second, What You Gonna Do When the Rent Is Due?, arrived the following November. Ms. Jody's sexy, streetwise style gained her a following among fans of Southern soul and blues, and she recorded prolifically, releasing ten original albums for Ecko between 2006 and 2016. Ms. Jody also enjoyed a busy schedule as a live performer, playing clubs and festival dates in the South and West, occasionally branching out for gigs in California and the Midwest. In 2017, the hardworking Ms. Jody returned with the album I Got the Feeling, while continuing to play for her fans on a regular basis. ~by Mark Deming