Bman's Blues Report

Raised in Alabama, Lena grew up singing gospel in her grandmother’s church. She moved to Sacramento with her family in 1966. In 1976, Gene Chambers heard Lena sing and encouraged her to sing the blues, taking her around town and introducing her to such influences as Johnny Heartsman, Arbess Williams, Johnny Knox and Mick Martin. Lena performed regularly for many years with local bands before forming her own band, “Lena Mosley and The Badd Shoes Blues Band,” When Mike Balma decided to record a CD entitled “The Sacramento Blues,” it featured 10 local blues bands that included Lena’s. All the groups on the recording then toured from Sacramento to Tahoe, San Francisco, Redding, stopping at many of the surrounding cities. The Rhythm and Blues Magazine interviewed and featured an article on Lena’s participation in the tour and the CD. Lena’s performance with the Sacramento Blues Society events span many years, performing at Christmas parties, fund raisers, jam sessions...