Anthology

SISTA MONICA PARKER has been dubbed, “the lioness of the blues,” for good reason. With a Monterey Bay Blues Festival award for “Artist of the Year”, two nominations for “Best Contemporary and Blues/Soul Female Artist” from the Blues Foundation, and most recently a placement on the Fox Television network’s hit show, “So You Think You Can Dance,” Sista Monica has proved that she’s a force to be reckoned with.

But Parker is more than just an amazing vocalist- she’s also a former Marine Corp. Sergeant. When she returned to civilian life, she owned and operated her own engineering and IT executive search firm in Chicago, Il. In 1987, she relocated to California.

In 1992 after watching her former neighbor, M.C. Hammer, perform on the Arsenio Hall Show, she decided it was the perfect time to take her talents to stages far larger than her bathroom shower. She transformed her garage into her stage, and before she knew it, she was sharing the stage with Etta James, Gladys Knight, and The Neville Brothers at the Monterey Bay Blues Festival.

Parker released her first album in 1995, and has since gone on to release 9 solo albums. In 2002, she discovered a lump under her right arm. She later found out it was a rare form of cancer, synovial sarcoma. She underwent more than a year of chemotherapy, radiation, and physical therapy, and she survived. Her release following her battle was aptly titled Can’t Keep a Good Woman Down.

Her most recent release is titled Living in the Danger Zone. Most of the tracks on the album were written and produced by Sista Monica, and the album captures many phases of a love affair.