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Toni Price
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Toni Price
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Price (center) in 2006

Toni Price or Luiese Esther Price (March 13, 1961 – November 22, 2024) was an American country blues singer from Austin, Texas, United States. Price began her career in Nashville, where she recorded a few country and western singles. However, after accepting an invitation to play at the South by Southwest music festival she moved to Austin and released her second of numerous albums. Price won awards for Female Vocalist of the Year (1994–97), Album of the Year (Hey), Song of the Year ("Tumbleweed"), and Blues Artist of the Year.[1] In 2002, Price performed at the wedding of Julia Roberts and Daniel Moder.

Early life

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Price was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on March 13, 1961. Her adoptive parents, the Prices, named her Luiese Esther Price after her grandmothers. Her first exposure to blues was through second-generation blueswoman Bonnie Raitt. Luiese later studied the recordings of women blues singers such as Sippie Wallace and Victoria Spivey, whose music has also inspired Bonnie Raitt.

Luiese moved to New Jersey, where she started schooling and began singing, then moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where a summer parks program featured a talent contest in her 10th year, which she entered as Toni Price. This was her first recorded appearance on a Nashville stage, belting out "One Tin Soldier".

Price's conservative family wasn't particularly musical: "Since I was adopted, they didn't know what to expect of me, and I believe you're born to do whatever it is you do—that maybe my [birth] parents were musical. Maybe not. But I knew as a little bitty child I was going to be a singer. I didn't know how you did it or know any musicians, but I knew I would get there."[2]

Career

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Price grew musically in Nashville, where she recorded a few country and western singles. However, she felt frustrated by the "rigid" Nashville music industry. She accepted an invitation to play the South by Southwest music festival in Austin in 1989. The town's music fans "just responded so lovingly that I said that's it. I know where I belong".[3] Here she met and learned from the locals, who included Clifford Antone, owner of Antone's blues nightclub, and Austin-area guitarists such as Derek O'Brien, who produced her second album, Hey.[4] Shortly after she began singing in country bars in Nashville, she met songwriter Gwil Owen, who wrote eight (one co-written) of the 15 songs on her debut, Swim Away (1993). Price cites vocalists Aretha Franklin, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Patsy Cline, and Ray Charles as her major influences.[5]

Swim Away and Price's second album, Hey (1995), received praise from both fans and critics. She has been often compared with Patsy Cline ("Patsy Cline on a Harley") and Bonnie Raitt. Price has won numerous awards, including Female Vocalist of the Year (1994–97), Album of the Year (Hey), Song of the Year ("Tumbleweed"), and Blues Artist of the Year.[1] Her third album, Sol Power, was recorded at a club in Texas's remote town of Alpine. Sol Power (1999) is an acoustic live set from the Railroad Blues Club, in a tiny town in the southwestern desert lands of Texas. The landscape there inspired the band to, in Price's words, "take it to the limit".[citation needed] Low Down and Up (1999) followed, and then came Midnight Pumpkin, (2001), Born to Be Blue (2003), Talk Memphis (2007), and Cherry Sunday Orchestra (2010).[6]

Except for infrequent appearances in Houston, Dallas, or an occasional music festival elsewhere, Price stayed close to home and her daughter. "I have a sweet situation here," Price told John Burnett of NPR. "I don't have to go anywhere. People come and see me and I'm so, so lucky".[3] Price performed at the wedding of Julia Roberts and Daniel Moder in Taos, New Mexico, on July 4, 2002.

Price always performed music on her own terms,[7] usually only on Tuesday nights, until June 2007, at the Continental Club in Austin.[3]

Price relocated to San Diego in June 2007, but two years later, in June 2009, she moved back to Austin.

Death

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Price died from complications of a brain aneurysm on November 22, 2024, at the age of 63.[8]

Discography

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LPs
  • 1993: Swim Away (Discovery 77003)
  • 1995: Hey (Discovery 77022)
  • 1997: Sol Power (Discovery 74711)
  • 1999: Low Down and Up (Antone's 10044)
  • 2001: Midnight Pumpkin (Texas Music Group 52)
  • 2003: Born to Be Blue (Texas Music Group 60)
  • 2007: Talk Memphis (Texas Music Group 63)
  • 2010: Cherry Sunday Orchestra (Toni Price Records)
EPs
  • 1992: Toni Price Live (Toni Price Records)
  • 2007: Price is Right (Antone's TMG-ANT 0064)
Appears on
  • 1992: David Schnaufer - Dulcimer Sessions (SFL Records 5)
  • 1992: Various Artists - Antone's Women Bringing You The Best In Blues (Antone's ANT 9902)
  • 1995: Ian Moore - Live from Austin (Capricorn 947000)
  • 1995: Loose Diamonds - New Location (Dos DOSCD 7010)
  • 1995: Sue Foley - Big City Blues (Antone's 37)
  • 1995: Various Artists - Threadgill's Supper Session Second Helpings (Watermelon WM CD 1052)
  • 1996: Various Artists - Cowpunks (Vinyl Junkie VJLP002)
  • 1996: Various Artists - Luxury Liner Volume 1 (Glitterhouse GRCD 413)
  • 1996: Various Artists - Rig Rock Deluxe: A Musical Salute To The American Truck Driver (Upstart Sounds 025)
  • 1997: 8 1/2 Souvenirs - Souvonica (Continental COTR 8123)
  • 1997: Candye Kane: Diva la Grande (Discovery 74710)
  • 1997: Loose Diamonds - Fresco Fiasco (Freedom 1011)
  • 1998: Beaver Nelson - Last Hurrah (Freedom 1019)
  • 1999: Michael Hall And The Woodpeckers - Dead By Dinner (Blue Rose BLU CD0128)
  • 2000: The LeRoi Brothers - Kings of the Catnap (Rounder 37)
  • 2000: Various Artists - Screamin' And Hollerin' The Blues: New Acoustic Recordings Of Pre-War Blues Classics (Shanachie 9026)
  • 2001: Libbi Bosworth - Libbiville (Stark Raving 7007)
  • 2001: The James Hyland Band - Place I Call Home (Tin Roof 3405)
  • 2002: Various Artists - Happy Birthday Buck!: A Texas Salute To Buck Owens (Texas Music Round-Up RU2003)
  • 2002: Champ Hood - Bon Haven (South Congress Records 1003)
  • 2002: Roger Wallace - The Lowdown (Texas Music Group TMG-LS 4006)
  • 2003: Alex Parker And Jake Parker - Music From The Motion Picture The Life Of David Gale (Decca 066 733–2)
  • 2004: Various Artists - Gulf Coast Beach Blast (Texas Music Group 62)
  • 2009: David Hamburger - Original Soundtrack: Wild Texas Weather (Texas Spirit Theater 5637603876
  • 2009: Various Artists - Daughters of the Alamo (Retroworld / Floating World FLOATM 6022)
  • 2009: Various Artists - Sing To Me: a Lullaby Album
  • 2013: Two Tons of Steel - Unraveled (Smith Music Group 7173)

See also

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References

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Toni Price

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Toni Price is an American country blues singer known for her influential role in the Austin, Texas roots music scene, where she became a beloved mainstay through decades of soulful performances blending blues, country, and soul traditions. Born Luiese Esther Price on March 13, 1961, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she lived in Nashville where she began her career before relocating to Austin in 1989 (with a temporary move to San Diego from 2007 to 2009 before returning), quickly establishing herself as a fixture in the city's vibrant live music circuit despite initial challenges in a competitive environment. Price developed a dedicated following through her long-running residencies, particularly at the Continental Club, where her eclectic repertoire and emotive delivery earned her a cult-like status among local fans and musicians. She recorded several albums, beginning with her signing to Clifford Antone's Antone's Records, which helped introduce her distinctive voice to wider audiences. Her career spanned from the late 1980s through the 2020s, marked by consistent stage presence and contributions to Austin's reputation as a roots music hub, until her death on November 22, 2024, from complications related to a brain aneurysm.

Early life

Birth and adoption

Toni Price was born Luiese Esther Price on March 13, 1961, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was adopted, and her adoptive parents named her Luiese Esther Price after her grandmothers.

Move to Texas and early career

Price moved with her family to Nashville, Tennessee, at age five and grew up there. At age 10, while at a summer camp in Nashville, she entered a talent contest singing "One Tin Soldier" a cappella and began using the name Toni Price. She began her singing career in Nashville, performing in the city's music venues while working day jobs to support herself, but struggled to gain a foothold in the competitive country music scene. In 1989, Price relocated to Austin, Texas, drawn by the city's eclectic and supportive live music environment that better suited her blend of blues, country, and folk influences. The move followed an invitation to perform at the South by Southwest festival arranged by her manager Cameron Randle. Upon arriving in Austin, she quickly immersed herself in the local blues and roots music community, performing regularly and building a grassroots following through club gigs and word-of-mouth. Her early years in Austin involved honing her vocal delivery and stage presence in intimate settings, laying the foundation for her later recognition in the scene.

Music career

Rise in the Austin music scene

Toni Price rose to prominence in the Austin music scene through her long-running weekly residency at the Continental Club, where she hosted the beloved "Hippie Hour" on Tuesday nights for 22 years beginning in 1992. The residency drew dedicated crowds who lined up early, creating a cult-like following that filled the venue to capacity and fostered a unique communal atmosphere described as spiritually uplifting and healing. Continental Club owner Steve Wertheimer noted that Price "ruled the club like ‘a queen with a court, worshiping her’" during these shows, which became so consistent and beloved that they helped define the venue's identity and made Tuesdays unlike any other night in the city. She earned the affectionate title "Queen of the Continental Club" for her commanding presence and the loyal community she built around her performances. As a country-blues vocalist with a honeyed alto, Price interpreted songs by notable songwriters while fronting ensembles featuring prominent Austin musicians, establishing herself as a standard-bearer for the city's roots music scene without extensive touring. Her residency and local success also coincided with the release of several well-received albums that ranked among Austin's best-sellers, further cementing her stature in the live music community.

Albums and recordings

Toni Price's studio albums primarily date from the 1990s and early 2000s, establishing her presence in the roots and blues music scenes. Her debut, Swim Away, appeared in 1993 on Discovery Records. This was followed by Hey in 1995 and Sol Power in 1997, both also released on Discovery Records. She then moved to Antone's Records for Low Down and Up in 1999 and Midnight Pumpkin in 2001. Her next studio album, Born to Be Blue, was released in 2003. This was followed by Talk Memphis in 2007 on Antone's Records. The following table summarizes her key studio albums:
Album TitleRelease YearLabel
Swim Away1993Discovery Records
Hey1995Discovery Records
Sol Power1997Discovery Records
Low Down and Up1999Antone's Records
Midnight Pumpkin2001Antone's Records
Born to Be Blue2003—
Talk Memphis2007Antone's Records
These albums supported her reputation in the Austin live music scene.

Live performances and style

Toni Price was celebrated for her country blues style, blending wailing blues with soulful country-Americana and R&B influences in a manner that made her a standard-bearer of Austin's roots music scene. Her vocal delivery featured a strong, clear voice capable of conveying deep emotion, often described as possessing a certain innocence combined with an old soul. She had a gift for capturing songs and making them her own, delivering them with passion that seemed to come directly from the heart, even when interpreting material written by others. Price's live performances were characterized by an electrifying stage presence and an intimate setup, where she typically performed seated alongside acoustic guitarists, fostering a communal and healing atmosphere. Her style drew comparisons to Bonnie Raitt for its versatility across blues, R&B, and singer-songwriter traditions, as well as to Delbert McClinton in her ability to own the songs she interpreted. Performances evoked a sense of old Austin soul, with audiences often left feeling elated, uplifted, or emotionally moved. She maintained the Tuesday night residency known as "Hippie Hour" at Austin's Continental Club for 22 years beginning in 1992, which became renowned for its consistent magic and devoted following.

Contributions to film and television

Soundtrack credits

Toni Price's recordings have appeared in film and television soundtracks, bringing her blues and roots style to cinematic and episodic projects. Her songs "Just to Hear Your Voice" and "Richest One" were featured as performer credits in the 2003 film The Life of David Gale. These tracks were drawn from her existing body of work and integrated into the movie's soundtrack. Additionally, Price's recording of "Foolin' Around" was featured in an episode of the television series Friday Night Lights (2006–2011). The song, uncredited in some listings, contributed to the show's atmospheric soundtrack. These placements represent her limited but notable contributions to film and television soundtracks.

Television appearances

Toni Price made a notable appearance on the PBS music series Austin City Limits in an episode that aired on October 29, 2000. The episode, the third of season 26, featured her alongside Shelby Lynne, with Lynne opening and Price performing as the closing act. She was described as a talented blues diva capping the hour with her performance, highlighting her distinctive style to a national audience. The episode is documented in the show's official anthology as installment 2603. This broadcast represented a key television exposure for Price, aligning with her prominence in the Austin music community. No other television appearances are prominently documented in available sources.

Personal life

Death

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