Becky Barksdale

Hailing from Port Arthur, Texas (the same hometown as the legendary Janis Joplin), guitarist Becky Barksdale began playing when her grandfather gave her an instrument at the age of twelve. She learned quickly and was gigging on the regional scene by the time she was sixteen, leading to a period on the road with an incarnation of blues-boogie band Canned Heat. Through word of mouth, Barksdale came to the attention of Michael Jackson and was handpicked to play guitar for the pop superstar on his tour to promote his Dangerous release in 1993. With her profile quickly on the rise, Barksdale became the first act signed to the House Of Blues label, appearing on the 1997 compilation Essential Women In Blues for the new label. In 1999, she released Real Live, which earned enthusiastic reviews which heralded Barksdale as a rising talent in the blues-rock field.