Originally from Houston Texas, Annie performed professionally from the age of 12 - toured Europe, the US, and Canada with various groups singing and playing fiddle - played & sang at venues from the Colosseo de Sport in Rome, the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, Chicago Blues Festival, school assemblies, library shows, outdoor festivals, country, contra & Cajun dances and backyard barbecues, etc. She played fiddle and sang for a variety of groups including the Smokin’ Section, Tee Fee Swamp Boogie, the blues/American Roots duo Gill and Howard, Queen Ida, Danny Poulard, Annie Marie & Fiddlaround, and the Wasted Rangers.
Annie's childhood was difficult but her dad played stride style piano and they loved singing songs together while he would play boogie on the piano. When she had the opportunity to learn to play the fiddle and then viola in school 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.
Annie began working, performing and touring-both as a vocalist & as a fiddler, and along with cleaning houses and working retail she supported herself. Constantly playing and singing with any one in the genre, she built her skills and started teaching music privately in 1980, then in public elementary schools and in private group and individual lessons from preschool through adult. About this time Annie became disenchanted with the music business; She worked hard, put herself through college and received a music degree and teaching credentials. In 88 Annie was hired by Vallejo Unified as a teacher and in 89 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.
In 1998, Annie started working on her Masters in Education and accepted a full-time position as a pedagogy coach for the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Program (BTSA). In 2000, Annie became the administrator in charge of the BTSA program and also gave birth to her daughter Elyssa. Being responsible for her beautiful daughter had a profound effect on Annie. She wanted to be the parent Elyssa would need as she grew up. In 2006, she met her husband Ron Hogenboom; A veteran and a faithful Christian, he became the second stabilizing influence in her life.
Beginning in 2010 Annie started exploring various Christian denominations in an effort to provide her daughter with a clear moral framework. Elyssa settled on Northgate Christian Fellowship in 2011 and Annie followed her lead and began attending and playing worship music to support her daughter’s choice, joining the Northgate Worship Team officially in 2012. As Annie played worship music, her heart was touched. Annie was baptized in February of 2014. She played music with Northgate through 2017 and started accepting worship gigs for other churches as well. Annie also 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 position of Worship Minister in November of 2019.
Annie has retired from teaching and concentrates on writing and playing worship music. However, she 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 dedicates to Jesus Christ.
Annie recently wrote her autobiography 'Thrown-away Found! available at wwwthrownawayfound.com or Amazon in February 2021.
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
Annie Marie Music
Worship, Americana & New Orleans style music
SOME HIGHLIGHTS
- 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