Samantha Fish (born January 30, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist from Kansas City, Missouri. While often cited as a blues artist, Fish's albums and live shows feature multiple genres, including

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...

, funk, bluegrass and

ballads A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or '' ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

. Her elder sister, Amanda Fish, is a fellow singer-songwriter, recording for VizzTone Records.

Early life and education

Samantha Fish grew up in Kansas City, Missouri and started out playing the drums, but when she was 15 she switched to guitar. Fish's mother was the instructor in a local church choir and her father played guitar with friends. Initially hearing recordings of Bonnie Raitt and Stevie Ray Vaughan, she later heard music from

Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American musician who was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1976. He previously led the band Mudcrutch, was a member of the la ...

and

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...

and cites the Stones' album ''

Sticky Fingers ''Sticky Fingers'' is the 9th British and 11th American studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. The Stones released it on 23 April 1971 on their new, and own label Rolling Stones Records. They had been contracted by Decc ...

'' as an influential moment. Samantha and her sister were both drawn towards blues music in their teenage years. Fish regularly went to the

Knuckleheads Saloon Knuckleheads is a music venue in Kansas City, Missouri. The facility is a complex of four stages: a large outdoor stage with a converted caboose to one side as a VIP seating area; an indoor stage; a large indoor stage known as Knuckleheads Garag ...

to hear touring blues artists. After turning 18, she often joined in with the singers and bands who were performing there.

Career

In 2009, Fish recorded and produced ''Live Bait''. The live album attracted the attention of a talent company, who recommended her to

Ruf Records Ruf Records is a German independent record label, which was founded in 1994 by Luther Allison’s manager, Thomas Ruf, to promote Allison's career. The motto of the blues label is "Where Blues Crosses Over". The company's office is located in ...

. Ruf Records put together a record with Fish and two other female blues artists, Cassie Taylor and Dani Wilde, titled ''Girls with Guitars''. The three guitarists then toured on the Ruf Records 2011 Blues Caravan in the U.S. and Europe. Fish continued touring with the Samantha Fish Band, featuring "Go-Go Ray" Pollard on drums and Chris Alexander on bass, playing in Europe and the United States. In 2011, Fish recorded ''Runaway'' with the help of her mentor

Mike Zito Mike Zito (born November 19, 1970) is an American guitarist, singer, record producer, and songwriter from St. Louis, Missouri, United States. He is a co-founder of Royal Southern Brotherhood that features Cyril Neville, Devon Allman, Charlie Woo ...

. The album won the 2012 Blues Music Award for Best New Artist. Fish appeared on

Devon Allman Devon Allman (born August 10, 1972) is an American guitarist, vocalist, keyboardist, songwriter, and record producer. He is the son of musician Gregg Allman and has appeared occasionally as a guest musician for Gregg Allman and The Allman Brother ...

's 2013 album ''

Turquoise Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrated phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula . It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gemstone and ornamental stone for thousands of year ...

'' in a duet covering the

/ Stevie Nicks' song " Stop Draggin' My Heart Around". During the summer of 2013, Fish was called up on stage to play with a skeptical

Buddy Guy George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He is an exponent of Chicago blues who has influenced generations of guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaugh ...

who was so impressed with her playing on the guitar, he declared with a beaming smile to his audience, "When this kind of shit happens, I'll play all night!" In 2013, Fish released her second major studio album, ''Black Wind Howlin, featuring

on guitar,

Yonrico Scott Yonrico Scott (October 6, 1955 – September 19, 2019) was an American drummer and percussionist. He was a longtime member of the Grammy winning The Derek Trucks Band, became a bandleader of his own ensemble, the Yonrico Scott Band, and later ...

on drums,

Johnny Sansone John "Johnny" Sansone (born September 27, 1957), also known as Jumpin' Johnny Sansone, is an American electric blues singer, songwriter, harmonicist, accordionist, guitarist and piano player. He was nominated for seven music awards in 2012, incl ...

on harmonica, and

Paul Thorn Paul Thorn is an American Southern rock, country, Americana, and blues singer-songwriter, whose style is a mix of blues, country, and rock. Biography Thorn was raised in Tupelo, Mississippi. Before his professional music career began he was ...

, vocal duet on one track. The album was recorded in Dockside Studios, in

Maurice, Louisiana Maurice is a town in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 964 at the 2010 census and 2,118 for the 2020 Census. It is part of the Abbeville micropolitan statistical area. History The village, originally called ''"M ...

. Mike Zito's bandmates from his group

Royal Southern Brotherhood Royal Southern Brotherhood is an American blues and blues rock supergroup, consisting of singer and percussionist Cyril Neville, vocalist and guitarist Devon Allman, vocalist and guitarist Mike Zito, drummer Yonrico Scott, and bassist Charlie Wo ...

, Yonrico Scott and Charlie Wooton, were brought in to assist in the session recordings. Also in 2013, Fish appeared on ''The Healers Live at Knuckleheads Saloon'', producing a CD/DVD collaboration with Jimmy Hall,

Reese Wynans Reese Wynans (born November 28, 1947) is an American keyboard player, who has done session work and has been a member of Double Trouble and progressive rock band Captain Beyond. In 2015, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a m ...

, Kate Moss, and

Danielle Danielle is a modern French female variant of the male name Daniel, meaning "God is my judge" in the Hebrew language. Variants *Dana – Czech, German, Romanian Polish *Danette – English *Daniela – Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, English, Germ ...

and Kris Schnebelen (sister and brother, formerly of the band Trampled Under Foot). Proceeds benefit the Blue Star Connection. The Healers occasionally perform together as their schedule permits. Fish's third studio album, ''Wild Heart'' was released on July 10, 2015. The new album is more

roots rock Roots rock is a genre of rock music that looks back to rock's origins in folk, blues and country music. It is particularly associated with the creation of hybrid subgenres from the later 1960s, including blues rock, country rock, Southern rock, ...

than her earlier blues rock. Fish wrote five songs on the record. She co-wrote five other songs with Jim McCormick in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

Luther Dickinson Luther Andrews Dickinson (born January 18, 1973) is the lead guitarist and vocalist for the North Mississippi Allstars and the son of record producer Jim Dickinson. He is also known for being the lead guitarist for The Black Crowes. He hosts ''G ...

produced the album, as well as played various stringed instruments (guitar, bass, mandolin, lap steel) to flesh out the sound. The album was recorded in four studios,

Royal Studios Royal Studios is a recording studio located in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Established in 1956, it is one of the oldest continuously operated music recording studios in the world. It is widely known for producer, recording artist and owner ...

and Ardent Studios in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

, Zebra Ranch in Coldwater, Mississippi, and Blade Studios in Shreveport, Louisiana. Other musicians on the record are

Brady Blade Brady L Blade Jr. (born 1965 in Shreveport, Louisiana) is an American rock, pop and country drummer, record producer and composer, who currently resides in Stockholm, Sweden. He is the son of Dorothy and Pastor Brady Blade Sr. (Pastor of ...

(drums), Lightnin' Malcolm (guitar), Shardé Thomas (drums), Dominic Davis (bass), Shontelle Norman-Beatty (background vocals), and Risse Norman (background vocals). Fish released her fourth solo album, ''Chills & Fever'' on March 17, 2017. The album was recorded in Detroit and was recorded with members of the band

The Detroit Cobras The Detroit Cobras were an American garage rock band from Detroit, Michigan, which was formed around 1994 by vocalist Rachel Nagy and guitarist Mary Ramirez, with a constantly changing assortment of (mostly male) sidemen. Nagy died on January 14 ...

. Bobby Harlow produced the album. ''

Belle of the West ''Belle of the West'' is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Samantha Fish. It was released on November 3, 2017, under Ruf Records. The album was produced by Luther Dickinson at Zebra Ranch. Critical reception ''Belle of the W ...

'' followed in December 2017. Fish released her sixth solo album, '' Kill or Be Kind'', on September 20, 2019, on her new label, Rounder Records. It was chosen as a 'Favorite Blues Album' by

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

. Fish released her seventh solo album, '' Faster'', on September 10, 2021, on Rounder Records. The album was produced by

Martin Kierszenbaum Martin Kierszenbaum, also known by his pseudonym Cherry Cherry Boom Boom, is an American music personality. As a songwriter and producer he worked with Lady Gaga, Sting, Madonna, Mylène Farmer, Keane, Tokio Hotel, Far East Movement, Robyn, Fe ...

, and features drummer Josh Freese and bass player Diego Navaira of The Last Bandoleros. Kansas City area rapper

Tech N9ne Aaron Dontez Yates (born November 8, 1971), better known by his stage name Tech N9ne (pronounced "tech nine"), is an American rapper. In 1999, he and business partner Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. He has sold over two ...

is featured on the song "Loud".

Personal life

Her older sister is Amanda Fish, a fellow American blues singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.

Discography

Albums

Awards

Fish has won the following awards: *Best New Artist Debut – 2012 Blues Music Awards in Memphis *Artist of the Year – 2016 Independent Blues Awards *Best Independent Female Blues Artist – 2016 Independent Blues Awards *Best Independent Blues Contemporary CD (for ''Wild Heart'' (Ruf Records)) – 2016 Independent Blues Awards *Best Modern Roots Song (for "Go Home" from the album, ''Wild Heart'') – 2016 Independent Blues Awards *Road Warrior – 2016 Independent Blues Awards *Best Contemporary Blues Album (for ''Chills & Fever'' (Ruf Records)) - 2017 Blues Blast Music Awards *Best Independent Female Blues Artist – 2017 Independent Blues Awards *Road Warrior – 2017 Independent Blues Awards *Best Blues Album (for ''Belle of the West'' (Ruf Records)) – 2017 Best of the Beat Awards *Best Modern Roots CD (for ''Belle of the West'' (Ruf Records)) – 2018 Independent Blues Awards *Best Independent Blues-Soul Artist – 2018 Independent Blues Awards *Best Stage Performance – 2018 Independent Blues Awards *Road Warrior – 2018 Independent Blues Awards *Song for Common Good (for "American Dream" from the album ''Belle of the West'')– 2018 Independent Blues Awards *Female Blues Artist of the Year (Readers' Poll) – 2018 Annual Living Blues Awards *Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year – 2018 Blues Music Awards *Best Female Vocalist – 2018 Best of the Beat Awards *Best Blues Performer – 2018 Best of the Beat Awards *Best Guitarist – 2018 Best of the Beat Awards *Artist of the Year – 2018 Best of the Beat Awards Fish won Making a Scene's 2020 Independent Blues Awards for: *Artist of the Year *Female Artist of the Year *Producer of the Year *Best Soul Artist *Best Soul CD "Kill or Be Kind" *Best Music Video "Kill or Be Kind" *Best Modern Roots song "Kill or Be Kind" *Gateway Artist *Road Warrior Award *CD of the Year

Charts

* ''Black Wind Howlin'' ** Top Heatseekers at No. 47 (2013) ** Top Blues Albums at No. 7 (2013, 2014) * '' Wild Heart'' ** Top Heatseekers at No. 14 (2015) ** Top Blues Albums at No. 1 (2015) * '' Chills & Fever'' ** Top Heatseekers at No. 7 (2017) ** Top Blues Albums at No. 3 (2017) *''

'' ** Top Heatseekers at No. 2 (2017) ** Top Blues Albums at No. 1 (2017) * '' Kill or Be Kind'' ** Top Heatseekers at No. 1 (2019) ** Top Blues Albums at No. 1 (2019) * '' Faster'' ** Top Heatseekers at No. 18 (2021) ** Top Blues Albums at No. 1 (2021)

Notes

References

* * * * * * * *

External links

*
SamanthaFishFans website
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fish, Samantha 1989 births Living people 21st-century American women guitarists 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American singers American blues guitarists American blues singer-songwriters American blues singers American women singer-songwriters Guitarists from Missouri Musicians from Kansas City, Missouri Rounder Records artists Ruf Records artists Singer-songwriters from Missouri