Valerie Wellington – Million Dollar $ecret – Rooster Blues Records R2619 

Valerie Wellington had a voice that only comes around in the blues so very infrequently that when she burst upon the scene it was a startling occurrence.  Having studied and trained in operatic vocals, Wellington’s instrument was a cannon, a muscular phenomenon, but it was not just volume that drove her blues.  When she switched course and chose the blues for her all-too-brief career, she thrilled audiences with her vocal nuances and shades, her dynamic on-stage presence, her affable demeanor, and class.  For many, Wellington harkened back to the classic female blues singers such as Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, and Mamie Smith, among others.  She was a fresh, charismatic artist on-stage capable of grabbing the audience by the hand and whisking them away on her blues journeys.  This was bolstered by Wellington’s ability to absolutely thrill her admirers with songs made famous by the pioneering woman blues singers of the genre’s earliest years.  This was virtually unheard of at the time Wellington burst upon the blues scene. 

Wellington played a local club here in northcentral Indiana a number of times; the Center Street Blues Café in Mishawaka.  In a testosterone-fueled arena like the blues, we were simply startled at her passion and capacity.   Always attired in a sequined ensemble, her face perfectly made-up, refined jewelry shimmering, and her full dark hair elegantly coiffed, Wellington easily portrayed the role of the blues diva, her eyes shining with blues authority.  She made direct eye contact with those in the crowd, clutching the microphone and appearing to sing as if one was the only person in the room.  And when she would put the microphone down and sing over the top of the band with a forceful abandon (easy for her due to her operatic training), it brought those in attendance to their feet.  Such was the sheer strength of her voice.

Wellington’s career was boosted by her appearances on regional superstation WGN-TV out of Chicago where her thunderous singing was featured in a number of commercials, plus additional exposure via a stage play portraying Ma Rainey, along with exposure from an NPR presentation.

First of all, this mesmerizing ten-song 1984 outing’s selections are anchored by some of the best musicians on Chicago’s then-still-hearty blues scene, including the immense guitar talents of Magic Slim, John Primer, and Johnny Littlejohn, young blues harmonica ace Billy Branch, low-end master Aron Burton on bass, Chicago piano patriarch Sunnyland Slim, and both Casey Jones and Nate Applewhite waging their respective solid timekeeping duties.

Throughout, there is an air of blues authenticity to the cuts submitted, and above all the blues professionalism on display from her assembled bandmates, Wellington’s vocals command attention by the way of their smooth, sensuous, gritty, rollicking, passionate, confident, joyous, melancholy, and reflective shades and qualities.  Wellington could border a song in a particular spirit and wrench each drop of emotion out of it.  And while she certainly was adept at vocals of sonic levels, there is no showing-off here whatsoever; this is awe-inspiring work of differing hues just when the blues needed an original face on the scene.

Wellington would go on to contribute a marvelous track to Alligator Records’ The New Bluebloods – The Next Generation Of Chicago Blues compilation from 1987 entitled “A Fool For You” that seemed to forecast still greater things.  She also recorded an album entitled Life In The Big City for the GBW label that saw release in 1992.

Unfortunately, Wellington suddenly passed away in early January, 1993 at the age of 33 due to a brain aneurysm.

This chronicle of Wellington’s early efforts holds up very, very well after all these years, and is recommended without any stipulation.  Your collection would be heightened by its inclusion.