African American country singers are such a rare sight in this generation, but there is someone who stands out with an extraordinary talent and unmatched determination to succeed in her chosen genre—Lea Sweet, the Black Queen of Country Music. She recently released her debut album titled Black Queen of Country Music, a rare fusion of country and rock music.
The album contains love songs and an exciting new remix of Willie Nelson’s “Crazy.” The promising artist poured most of her time and energy into writing and producing the songs. Music fans will also be hearing a lot of her guitar-playing skills alongside her vocals at the same time. Her debut CD was released under Sony Orchard, a known subsidiary of Sony Music.
Most of Lew Sweet’s musical influences came from her own parents. Her unique sound and distinct vocals are strongly influenced by her parents’ Southern accent with a touch of everything else that represents her roots in Macon, Georgia. Before Nashville, Tennessee and Los Angeles, she lived in San Francisco for many years. She has participated in several music productions that involved working with the Motown Legends, Legends of Soul and the Pop, Rock & Soul & Sweet Tina Tribute Casino Tours performing the very best tributes to Tina Turner, Tammi Terrell, The Supremes, The Vandellas, and The Marvelettes.
While in Nashville, she did collaborations with several well-known musicians, from Troy Klonz (Brooks and Dunn guitarist), Jeff Silverman (Rick Springfield’s guitarist), J cool V (Elvis Presley organist), Scott English (who wrote Mandy for Barry Manilow), Armond Morales (from the Original Imperials), and the celebrated Steve Stokes on fiddle. Without their support of her passion, it would have taken her a long time to release her album.
The future holds a lot of promise for Lea Sweet as she continues to steadily grow as a country singer and live up to being the Black Queen of Country Music, inspiring more women of color to never shy away from rare opportunities to showcase their gifts and artistry. Just like many of her peers and so many others who have gone before her, she aspires to one day become a Grammy nominee and be recognized for her hard work and dedication to music. Additionally, she dreams of one day doing opening acts for Keith Urban, Brooks and Dunns, Taylor Swift, and Dolly Parton. Among other things, she hopes to do collaborations by creating duets with her fellow country singers.
Overall, there have only been fifteen African American country singers who have been recognized in the music industry. Some of them have passed on and were never given the recognition they deserved. Lea Sweet hopes to change this by leaving a legacy that will empower African American country singers to boldly celebrate their artistry and work harder to reach the top. As a self-pronounced cowgirl who has a deep passion for country music, it is her earnest hope that her music career will serve as a beacon of hope for many aspiring music artists.
Find out more about Lea Sweet by visiting her website. Follow her on Instagram and subscribe to her YouTube channel for updates on her latest projects.
