Janiva Magness is one of the most talented and recognized blues vocalists in the world today. A three-decade darling of the blues genre, Janiva currently resides at the top of the industry.

In May 2007, Janiva won her second consecutive Blues Music Award for Contemporary Female Artist of the Year beating out contemporaries Susan Tedeschi, Shemekia Copeland and Marcia Ball.

Janiva is also nominated for the 2008 Blues Music Award for the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year Award.

Billboard writes “Magness carves out a niche by singing the blues with maturity and sophistication."

Singer Magazine writes “Her voice is sultry, smoky and strong with jazz, blues, and soul textures enveloping it.”

Although her vocals are at times beautiful, Janiva is best known for her sauciness and the bold, brazen beauty of her recordings and performances. Janiva is known for paying homage to controversial and rule breaking women before her like Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith for fearlessly embracing their age, their sexuality, and truth.

Janiva was barely a teenager when she was consumed by the power and expression of rhythm and blues from the radio stations of her hometown of Detroit, Michigan. Janiva’s influences include Etta James, Billie Holiday, Elmore James, Robert Johnson, Aretha Franklin, Jackie Wilson, Memphis Minnie & Koko Taylor - some of whom she has since shared stages with and drawn comparisons.

In addition to being an outstanding vocalist, Janiva Magness is a favorite on the North American and European festival circuit. Los Angeles’ NPR affiliate KCRW FM says “…you're gonna get knocked out by what you hear. I recommend you go SEE and HEAR Janiva Magness.” Fellow genre leader Charlie Musselwhite says “Janiva Magness always knocks me out because she has such style and poise on stage and she hits every note she sings just right - perfect every time."
Janiva’s vocals and stage presence expanded beyond the clubs, venues and festivals in 2003, when she played the lead character in the west coast edition of the Tony-nominated Broadway production "It Ain't Nothin' But The Blues", which ran at the David Geffen Theater in Los Angeles.

Janiva has provide vocals to Brian Setzer, Jimmy Buffett, the late R.L. Burnside, both former Fabulous Thunderbird guitarists Kid Ramos and Kirk ”Eli” Fletcher, and many others.

Although singing has always been natural for Janiva, her early life’s path was not rosy. Early in life she lost both parents to suicide. Shortly after came 12 foster homes in two years. At 16 Janiva became an emancipated minor with chemical dependencies and a teenage mother putting her baby up for adoption. Turmoil was a daily part of her young life.

At 14 Magness found salvation in the form of a blistering blues guitarist named Otis Rush. On a winter’s night hitchhiking across Minneapolis, she ended up a the Union Bar and paid $2 to get in the door.

She explains “He just blew my mind. He made me feel things I didn’t know what to do with. The music spoke to parts of me that had never been addressed. It opened up some other place in me, like letting oxygen into a sealed crypt for the first time.”

The enlightened teenager started hitting blues shows throughout the Minneapolis/Chicago/Detroit triangle. Johnny Copeland and Albert Collins became favorites as did the early funk and R&B of the thriving local scene including one particular emerging artist who called himself Prince – long before he took the city’s sound nationwide.

As with the beginning of the music itself, Janiva started listening to and singing the blues for catharsis. After discovering she could sing not only for healing but to get paid, she went to work as a backup vocalist working frequently with Sounds of Blackness member Joanne Hollis. Eventually, she landed in the sunnier Phoenix, Arizona and took up a mentor in Bob Tate, Sam Cooke’s legendary and long-time musical director. The first band she assembled in Phoenix was named as the town’s Best Blues Band.

Janiva never forgot her troubled past and dedicates time outside her life as a musician. Today, Janiva Magness is also the official spokesperson for National Foster Care Month, taking over for producer and artist extraordinaire Pharell.

Janiva continues to tour behind her seventh album and sophomore release for NorthernBlues Music entitled ‘Do I Move You?’ In December 2007 she returned to the studio to record her eighth album to be released on Alligator Records.