Lydia Pense
Lydia Pense | |
---|---|
Birth name | Lydia Jane Pense |
Born | December 14, 1947 |
Origin | San Francisco, California |
Genres | Rock, Urban contemporary, Blue-eyed soul |
Occupation(s) | Singer |
Instruments | Vocals |
Years active | 1969–present |
Labels | Reprise (1972); Warner Bros. Records (1974); ABC (1976); Dig Music (2005) |
Associated acts | Lydia Pense and Cold Blood |
Lydia Pense (born Lydia Jane Pense in San Francisco, California on December 14, 1947) [1] is an American rock-soul-jazz singer who, since 1969, has performed with the band Cold Blood. Critics have compared her style to powerful singers including Janis Joplin (who recommended the band to Bill Graham for their first audition), Aretha Franklin, and Teena Marie.
Pense's mother[1] was born in Madrid, Spain, and her father came from Nebraska. At 14, While attending Sequoia High School in Redwood City, California, Pense started singing with a band called The Dimensions, with Guitarist Fred Tatman. She was a fan of Brenda Lee and was singing her songs, but the band, formed by Fred Tatman, Larry Hatch and Kerry Yates, encouraged her to sing R&B in the style of James Brown, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, and Ray Charles.
Lydia joined Cold Blood in 1968.
Their initial four albums, Cold Blood, Sisyphus, First Taste of Sin (produced by Donny Hathaway), and Thriller remain their best known work. The band continues to record and perform. The band separated in the late 1970s, and Pense suspended her career in the 1980s to raise her daughter before re-forming the group.
Discography
Albums
- Cold Blood (1969)
- Sisyphus (1971)
- First Taste of Sin (1972)
- Lights Out San Francisco (Voco Presents The Soul Of The Bay Area) (1972)
- Thriller (1973)
- Lydia (1974)
- The Best of Cold Blood (1975)
- Lydia Pense & Cold Blood (1976)
- Vintage Blood: Live! 1973 (live album), 2001
- Transfusion (2005)
- Lydia Pense & Cold Blood:Live Blood "Live Album" (2008)
- Lydia Pense & Cold Blood, "The River City Sessions" (2011)
- Lydia Pense & Cold Blood, "Soul Of The Gypsy" (2015)
See also
References
- 1 2 "California Birth Index, 1905-1995 [database on-line]". United States: The Generations Network. 2005. Retrieved 2009-11-23.