Read the critics' praise for My Shining Hour.

A few years ago, a close friend observed that "family" is very important to me. I had never really thought about it, but it's true. I do believe that the most precious time of all is spent with your family. Growing up I was blessed because I had more than one. There was my immediate family, my church family, and my music family. Each one played a significant role in my life by providing support, encouragement, and love.

For me, music has always been a channel which expresses the full spectrum of emotion –all without saying a word. I have been lucky enough to have an extended family which not only believed in the power of music themselves, but also encouraged me to pursue the connections it created between me and other people.

For My Shining Hour I chose songs that I love to sing because they tell my story, in my language–through melody, rhythm, and groove. "Perfect Stranger" connects me to my roots on Beale Street, where the blues taught me how to feel in color. Gershwin's "Love is Here to Stay" proves to me again and again that our family ties are well worth fighting for.

All of the selections on this recording are a part of me. They are the songs I bring to my table. Even though I am many miles from my native Memphis, Tennessee I continue to discover new members of my "family" wherever the music takes me.