Valerie June

Valerie June Hockett (born January 10, 1982),[1] known as Valerie June, is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Memphis, Tennessee, United States.[2][3] Her sound encompasses a mixture of folk, blues, gospel, soul, country, Appalachian and bluegrass.[4] She is signed to Concord Music Group worldwide.[5]

Valerie June
June in 2013
Background information
Birth nameValerie June Hockett
Born (1982-01-10) January 10, 1982
Jackson, Tennessee, United States
OriginMemphis, Tennessee, United states
GenresAmericana, alternative, roots rock, folk, blues, soul, bluegrass, dream pop
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist
InstrumentsGuitar, banjo, ukulele
Years activeEarly 2000s–present
LabelsFantasy Records
Associated actsBella Sun, The Wandering
Websitewww.valeriejune.com

Early life

Born in Jackson, Tennessee on January 10, 1982, June is the oldest of five children. As a child growing up in Humboldt, June was exposed to gospel music at her local church and R&B and soul music via her father, Emerson Hockett.[2][6][7] As a teenager, her first job was with her father, owner of Hockett Construction in West Tennessee, and a part-time promoter for gospel singers and Prince, K-Ci & JoJo, and Bobby Womack. She helped by hanging posters in town.[7][8] Her father died in late 2016.

Musical career

June relocated to Memphis in 2000 and began recording and performing at the age of 19, initially with her then-husband Michael Joyner, in the duo Bella Sun.[2] After her marriage ended, she began working as a solo artist, combining blues, gospel and Appalachian folk in a style that she describes as "organic moonshine roots music", and learning guitar, banjo, and lap-steel guitar.[2][3] She became associated with the Memphis-based Broken String Collective.[7][9]

In 2009 she was a featured artist on MTV's online series $5 Cover (following the lives of Memphis musicians attempting to make ends meet),[2][3][10][11][12] and in 2010 she recorded the EP Valerie June and the Tennessee Express, a collaboration with Old Crow Medicine Show.

In 2011 she was honored by the Memphis and Shelby County Music Commission at the Emissaries of Memphis Music event.[13] She raised funds to record an album with producer Craig Street via Kickstarter.com, raising $15,000 in 60 days.[14][15] Later that year she relocated from Memphis to Williamsburg, Brooklyn.[2] Shortly after, record producer Kevin Augunas introduced June to Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, which led to the recording of June's album Pushin' Against a Stone in July 2011, which was co-written and produced by Dan Auerbach and Kevin Augunas.[2]

In 2012, June performed with producer John Forté on a collaboration called Water Suites (on the hip-hop-blues song "Give Me Water"), and with Meshell Ndegeocello on the song "Be My Husband".[16] She contributed The Wandering's 2012 album Go on Now, You Can't Stay Here: Mississippi Folk Music Volume III.[17] In 2012 she performed in the United Kingdom for the first time, playing at Bestival and appearing on Later... with Jools Holland.[2][18]

She has received substantial radio play in Europe on BBC Radio 6, including a feature on Cerys on 6 with Cerys Matthews. Mary Anne Hobbs of XFM has said of June: "This woman has already touched my heart, she really, really has."[19]

In February 2013, June was invited to support Jake Bugg on the UK leg of his tour.[20] In March 2013, June performed two nights at South By Southwest. The first performance was on March 14 as part of the Heartbreaker Banquet. On March 16, June performed again, this time as part of The Revival Tour.[21][22]

June performing at Byron Bay Bluesfest, 2014

After self-releasing three albums, her debut album as a signed artist, Pushin' Against a Stone, was released in the UK and Europe through Sunday Best Recordings on May 6, 2013, and through Concord Music Group in August 2013.[2][23][24] The album includes several songs co-written with Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, who co-produced it with Kevin Augunas.[2] The album was so titled to commemorate the story of her life. June said: "I feel I've spent my life pushing against a stone. And the jobs I've had have been fitting for getting a true feel for how the traditional artists I loved came home after a hard day to sit on the porch and play tunes until bedtime."[25] The record includes performances by Booker T. Jones, who co-wrote one of the songs contained on the album. The track "Workin' Woman Blues" was produced and engineered by Peter Sabák in Budapest. June has described the recording of the song as "magical" as it was completed in approximately 30 minutes.[26]

The two singles released in the UK and Europe were "Workin' Woman Blues" and "You Can't Be Told".[27]

In 2014, June was nominated for a Blues Music Award in the 'Best New Artist Debut' category for Pushin' Against a Stone.[28]

June appeared on Austin City Limits in 2014.[29]

Rolling Stone magazine named June's second album The Order of Time (album) one of The 50 Best Albums of 2017, citing "her handsomely idiosyncratic brand of Americana, steeped deep in electric blues and old-time folk, gilded in country twang and gospel yearning....a blend of spacey hippie soul, blues and folk with June’s pinched, modern-Appalachian voice at the center".[30][31]

In a 2017 interview, Bob Dylan was asked what artists he listened to and respected: June was among the artists he mentioned in reply.[31]

Discography

Albums
Year Album Peak positions Certifications
US
[32]		 BEL
(Fl)
[33]		 BEL
(Wa)
[34]		 FRA
[35]		 NED
[36]		 SWE
[37]		 SWI
[38]
2006 The Way of the Weeping Willow — — — — — — —
2008 Mountain of Rose Quartz — — — — — — —
2013 Pushin' Against a Stone 41 26 56 23 34 51 29
2017 The Order of Time 111 44 100 90
[40]		 99 — 38

EPs
Year EP
BEL
(Fl)
2010 Valerie June and The Tennessee Express —

Singles
Year Single Peak positions Album
BEL
(Fl)
[33]		 BEL
(Wa)
[34]		 FRA
[35]		 NED
[36]		 SWI
[38]
2012 "Workin' Woman Blues" 63
(Ultratip)		 — — — — Pushin' Against a Stone
"You Can't Be Told" — — — — —
2017 "Astral Plane" — — — — — The Order of Time
"Shakedown" — — — — —

with Bella Sun
  • No Crystal Stair (2004), Bella Sun Music

References
  1. Hubbell, John (2009), "$5 Cover in profile: Valerie June -- Down to Earth", The Commercial Appeal, May 28, 2009. Retrieved November 1, 2012  – via HighBeam (subscription required) (aged 27 in May 2009).
  2. Barnett, Laura (2012), "One to watch: Valerie June", The Observer, September 30, 2012. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  3. Leggett, Steve "Valerie June Biography", Allmusic. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  4. Allmusic.com Valerie June Biography", Allmusic. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  5. Allmusic.com Valerie June Discography", Allmusic.Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  6. Boone, Joe (2010), "The Musician's Progress", The Daily News, September 2, 2010. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  7. Lachno, James (2013), "Valerie June - New Faces", Daily Telegraph, February 23, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  8. Smith, William Michael (2012), "Tennessee Time", Houston Press, March 14, 2012. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  9. Jordan, Mark (2007), "Broken String 's new releases seem a bit frayed", The Commercial Appeal, June 15, 2007. Retrieved November 1, 2012  – via HighBeam (subscription required)
  10. "" Profiles - Valerie June Archived 2011-07-18 at the Wayback Machine", 5dollarcoveramplified.com. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  11. "Valerie June, Fille Catatonique", The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  12. Beifuss, John (2010), "Memphis films earn regional Emmys -- 'I Am a Man,' '$5 Cover Amplified'", The Commercial Appeal, February 2, 2010. Retrieved November 1, 2012  – via HighBeam (subscription required)
  13. Jordan, Mark (2011), "Music Commission to honor 8 women -- Event serves to inspire girls to pursue industry", The Commercial Appea], March 21, 2011. Retrieved November 1, 2012  – via HighBeam (subscription required)
  14. Melvin, Lindsay (2011), "Capital idea -- Fundraising sites help creative types tap online donors to sponsor projects", The Commercial Appeal, March 20, 2011. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  15. "Valerie June captures 'Little Ole Sound' on a sparkling, NEW record: Manifest", kickstarter.com. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  16. Thompson, Stephen (2012), "Song Premiere: Meshell Ndegeocello With Valerie June, 'Be My Husband'", NPR, July 18, 2012. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  17. Lewis, Catherine P. (2012), "The Wandering/Luther Dickinson album review", The Washington Post, May 11, 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2012  – via HighBeam (subscription required)
  18. "Later... with Jools Holland", BBC. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  19. "'Workin' Woman Blues - Valerie June Archived 2013-01-31 at the Wayback Machine", recordoftheday.com, November 2, 2012. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  20. "Valerie June: 'I Think Country Blues Has Influenced Everything'", gigwise.com, February 18, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  22. "The Revival Tour @ SXSW". Revival Tour. March 15, 2013. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  23. Smyth, David (2013), "Valerie June Interview: No Strictly Roots", Evening Standard, March 8, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  24. "Pushin' Against A Stone", amazon.com.
  25. "Valerie June - Workin' Woman Blues", femalefirst.co.uk, October 6, 2012. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  26. Global Beats: Americana - Part Two, BBC. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
  27. "Valerie June Announces New Single 'You Can't Be Told' Plus More UK 2013 Live Dates", contactmusic.com. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  28. "2014 Blues Music Awards Nominees and Winners". Blues.about.com. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  29. "Valerie June on Austin City Limits". acltv.com. Retrieved April 5, 2017.
  30. "50 Best Albums of 2017". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  31. "Valerie June on Bob Dylan, Oprah, New Album". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  32. "Valerie June discography". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  33. "Valery June discography". ultratop.be/nl/. Hung Medien. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  34. "Valery June discography". ultratop.be/fr/. Hung Medien. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  35. "Valery June discography". lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  36. "Valery June discography". dutchcharts.nl. Hung Medien. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  37. "Valery June discography". swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  38. "Valery June discography". hitparade.ch. Hung Medien. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  39. "Valery June Sales". Hits Daily Double. Archived from the original on 15 January 2017. Retrieved January 28, 2017.
  40. "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums - SNEP (Week 11, 2017)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
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