about annie

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Originally from Houston Texas, Annie started performing professionally at the age of 12. She toured Europe, the US, and Canada with various groups, singing and playing fiddle, performing at venues including the Colosseo de Sport in Rome, the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, Chicago Blues Festival, Shoreline Ampitheater, Stern Grove, Bumbershoot, to name a few. She also played for school assemblies, library shows, outdoor festivals, country, contra & Cajun dances and backyard barbecues, etc. 

Annie's childhood was difficult but her dad played stride style piano and they loved singing songs together while he would play boogie boogie on the piano. When she had the opportunity to learn to play the fiddle she found that playing music was the best relief from her life struggle. She left her home in Houston during her teenage years and ended up in the SF bay area. Annie had a difficult time, was homeless and exploited, then cleaned houses to get off the street. Eventually, she found her way back to music singing professionally earning both a degree and a teaching credential.

Annie was hired by Vallejo Unified as a teacher and  started giving interactive concerts focusing on American Roots Music at school assemblies, in classrooms, in libraries and for private parties while performing & touring in the summers. She started played worship music in 2014 when she became a Christian and had become an instructor for Northgate U in 2014, developing and teaching her own program, “Pray and Sing: basic vocal techniques, intonation practice and harmony singing using worship music”. Annie started leading worship part time for Journey Church in 2017 and accepted the full time position of Worship Minister.

Annie has retired from teaching and concentrates on writing and playing music. S continues to promote American fiddle tunes, and Cajun and blues fiddle along with her work in worship. She has been influenced by the many musicians she has studied and performed with including Dewey Balfa, Queen Ida, Kevin Wimmer, Johnny Heartsman, Danny Poullard, Sonny Rhodes, Billy Wilson & C.P. Love. She credits much of her musical development to her collaboration of 12 years with her partner, the late blues guitarist Leonard Gill (B.B. King, Otis Rush, Otis Clay, Allen Fonenot, Al Rapone). However, she feels strongly that the skills she attained through her decades of musical work have come to fruition in the music she now plays.

Annie recently wrote her autobiography 'Thrown-away Found! available at wwwthrownawayfound.com or Amazon.

• Started playing fiddle & singing in choirs at 9 yrs of age
• Recorded first record playing string parts at age 14
• Toured Europe and US with various folk & blues groups 
• Toured with 'Jolly Wally's Wonder Follies' 
• Lead vocalist for 'The Smokin' Section' -recorded first solo record
• Worked as back up vocalist for various recording studios
• Studied with Dewey Balfa
• Played Great American Music Hall
• Toured with Queen Ida
• Performed with Danny Poullard & Friends
• Started teaching with Vallejo City Unified
• Performed with Kevin Wimmer Band
• Started Tee Fee Swamp Boogie -was lead vocalist, writer/arranger, fiddler and played accordion
• Recorded first CD Hey Tee Fee
• Started Gill & Howard American Roots Duo
• Recorded “The Diversity of the USA through its Fiddle Tunes”video produced by the Oakland Unified School District 
• Recorded 2nd CD 'Don't Let It Get You!'
• Opened for Beausoleil & Bonnie Raitt at Shoreline Ampitheater
• Original song 'Zydeco Show' included on West Coast Zydeco compilation CD
• Performed Monterey Blues Festival
• Performed at Marin County Fair Blues Festival -3 years
• Opened for Confunction at Bumbershoot in Seattle (yes really!)
• Performed at the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee Festivals -5 years
• Performed at Napa Cajun Festivals 
• Performed at Ardenwood Cajun Zydeco Festivals - 3 years
• Played & sang with Johnny Heartsman Band
• Chicago Blues Festival-sang lead & played Fiddle
• Recorded 3rd CD-'Comin' Home'
• Recorded 4th CD- Tee Fee Revival
• Started trio & recorded CD with Annie Marie & Fiddlaround 
• Started playing & recording worship music with Northgate Worship in Benicia , CA
• Became Worship Minister for Journey Community Church of Vallejo
• Recorded Worship CD: Our Journey Home

CURRENT RECORDINGS 

AVAILABLE ON ITUNES

• Don't Let It Get You-Tee Fee Swamp Boogie
• Tee Fee Revival-tee Fee Swamp Boogie
• West Coast Zydeco compilation CD
• Annie Marie & Fiddlaround

AWARDS

• 1993 West Coast Cajun& Zydeco Music & Dance Association Rising Star Award 
• West Coast Cajun& Zydeco Music Association Best Original Zydeco Song award for“Where You Is?”
• 1996 the Queen Ida Guillory Women in Music Award and in 1997
• West Coast Cajun & Zydeco Music Association Best Original Zydeco Song award forDon’t Let It Get You!!”
• 1997 Award from the California Friends of Louisiana French Music for ongoing support of Bay Area Cajun and Zydeco music as a band leader and as a fiddler

EDUCATION AND CREDENTIALS

• Currently working on a Masters in Theology at Gateway Seminary
• Administrative Credential Tier 1, Sacramento, CA - 2006
• Masters in Education - University of Phoenix - 2005
• Facilitator Certification, Center for Collaborative Solutions, Sacramento, CA - 1998
• English Learner Authorization/CLAD Certificate, Sacramento, California, 1998
• Clear Multiple Subject Teaching Credential with bilingual Spanish, SF State University - 1988
• B.A. Music, Dominican College of San Rafael, 1984