Blues artist will perform for COVE benefit

Williams was born in Saginaw and her music was deeply rooted in gospel. At the age of 12, she began singing with the Greater Williams Temple C.O.G.I.C church choir. Williams performed with Dr. Mattie Moss Clark, Shirley Caesar, The Winans and James Cleveland. Dr. Marian McKinnie challenged the young Williams with extensive vocal training in jazz, gospel, concert music and drama.

Singing the blues is heart-felt for Williams, whose life once included mental, physical and drug abuse, homelessness and poverty. She credits the influences of Tina Turner, Etta James, KoKo Taylor and Billie Holiday in helping her form her own unique style–one which has landed her on stage at venues such as Buddy Guy’s Legends, Kingston Mines, Terra Blues, Biscuit & Blues, Poconos Blues Festival, North Atlantic Blues Festival, Mount Tremblant Blues Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, Utrecht, Peer and many other festivals in the United States, Europe and Canada.

Williams has also had the opportunity to collaborate with national recording artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Guy, KoKo Taylor, Delbert McClinton, Charlie Musselwhite, Taj Mahal, Ruthie Foster, Shemika Copland and many others.

The auditorium is located in the middle school building, 301 West Johnson Street. The concert will begin at

7 p.m. and will include two sets, concluding at 9 p.m.  Following the concert adult ticket-holders may present their concert ticket at the Colonial Golf Course for admission to an Afterglow event.

Tickets are $30 per person or $50 when bought in pairs. Tickets are available at all Shelby State Bank locations and at the COVE office at 906 E. Ludington Avenue. A limited number of tickets may be available at the door.

The concert is made possible by major sponsors: Mason County Transit Mix and Ludington Concrete Products; and with support from Shelby State Bank and Jerry Dennert, State Farm Insurance Agent, Hart.

The Capital Campaign for COVE is raising funds to construct a new facility to replace the 110-year old house that serves as the COVE shelter and the small, 35-year-old modular office building. COVE needs to raise $2.4 million for the facility and to-date has raised $1.8 million of that total. The mission of Communities Overcoming Violent Encounters (COVE) is to provide shelter, protection and advocacy to victims of domestic and sexual violence and/or homelessness and to educate the community about the root causes of violence. COVE is the only organization providing such services in Lake, Mason andOceana Counties.

For more information regarding concert tickets and the Capital Campaign for COVE, call: 231-233-2987or visit their website at Callcove.com.