Denied a record deal for years because she didn't have the right look ("too heavy, too dark, too short"), Sharon Jones worked as a Riker's Island prison guard, an armored truck guard for Wells Fargo, and countless other day jobs. Now at 52 years old, Jones is being heralded as the new "Queen of Soul." Taking a cue from her idol, James Brown, with whom she shares a hometown, Jones is unabashedly funky, old-school, and full of soul. Jones lives in the projects in Queens with her mother when she's not on the road with her band, The Dap-Kings. The Dap-Kings are best known for recording as the backing band on Amy Winehouse's hit record "Back to Black." Though that's about all that Jones and the troubled diva have in common, Jones told the Houston Chronicle, "if it hadn't been for Amy, you wouldn't be interviewing me. But I don't take no backseat to no one. Amy said I inspired her. That's a good thing."
So let her inspire you! Join us at the State Theatre on Thursday, February 3rd for a night of vintage soul and retro funk. Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings are on the verge of mega-stardom, wouldn't you like to say that you saw her back when?