Candye Kane

Infobox musical artist
Name = Candye Kane

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Img_capt = Candye Kane in January 2005
Background = Singer
Birth_name = Candye Kane
Born = birth date and age|1965|11|13
Ventura, California, USA
Origin = Los Angeles, California, USA
Instrument = Vocals
Genre = Blues, Jazz
Occupation = singer-songwriter
Years_active = 1986 - Present
Label = Ruf Records
Associated_acts =
URL = http://www.candyekane.com/

Candye Kane (born November 13, 1965) is now an American singer, songwriter and performer best known in the Blues and Jazz genre. [Although she has also recorded country western songs and is mentioned in several guides to California Country music.] She has been included in the "Rolling Stone Guide to Jazz and Blues," "Elwoods blues" by Dan Aykroyd, "The Blueshound Guide to Blues," "The All Music Guide" and several other blues books and periodicals. She was included on the "30 Essential Women of the Blues" CD set released by the House of Blues record label and the "Rock for Choice" compilation. She also appears along with her L.A. country music contemporaries, Lucinda Williams and Dwight Yoakam on a "Town South of Bakersfield" on Enigma Records. Kane is also a frequent talk show guest. She is also famous as a retired adult model and pornstar.

Early life

Candye was born in and was raised in east LA. She had a difficult childhood marked by a missing father and a verbally abusive mother who taught her to shoplift at the age of nine. She dabbled in the gang culture, and she became an unwed mother at the age of 17. In late 1983, when she turned 18, she got into the adult entertainment industry and became an adult model and a stripper. From 1983 to 1998, she appeared on the cover of more then 100 adult magazines including "Juggs", "High Society", "Voluptuous", and "Gent". She was also a regular contributor to "Gent" as an advice columnist. During this time she also starred in sixteen hardcore X-rated videos.

Music career

She became part of the punk rock music scene of the early 1980s. She started country punk bands and befriended and shared the stage with musicians as diverse as Fear, Black Flag, Social Distortion, Top Jimmy and the Rhythm Pigs, The Screamin Sirens, Tex and the Horseheads, James Harman, The Circle Jerks, Los Lobos, The Bags, The Blasters, The Gears, Lone Justice and Dwight Yoakum.

In 1985, she caught the attention of CBS/Epic A&R Head, Larry Hanby. She was signed to a developmental deal and recorded her first demo with Grammy Winner Val Garay. Kane was initially marketed as a country singer but CBS dropped her when they found out about her controversial past. [see above, regarding her career in the adult magazine business.] Managers and agents encouraged her to lose weight, renounce her past and change everything about herself.

In 1986, she moved from Los Angeles to a sleepy beach community in San Diego. She got married to bass player Thomas Yearsley of rockabilly power trio The Paladins, gave birth to another son, and became a Women's Studies Major at Palomar Community College. She continued to write songs and accidentally discovered the brash blues stylings of Big Maybelle, Ruth Brown, Big Mama Thornton, Etta James and Bessie Smith. She identified with the blues as a kind of music in which women had colorful pasts - many were plus-sized, most had grown up in oppressive, horrible circumstances and yet were still able to make music and celebrate their sexual lives. Kane began singing the blues.

In 1991, she self-released "Burlesque Swing," her first recording since "A Town South of Bakersfield". In 1992 was signed by Clifford Antone to a record deal with Antones Records. Her first cd, "Home Cookin’" was produced by Cesar Rosas (of Los Lobos) and Dave Gonzales and Thomas Yearsley of the Paladins. It included guest performances from the likes of Chris Gaffney and Dave Alvin. It was released in 1992 followed by "Knock Out". She then signed with Discovery Records releasing "Diva La Grande," produced by Dave Alvin and Derek O'Brien. Next, she was signed by record mogul Seymour Stein during the height of the swing revival. She released "Swango" which was produced by Mike Vernon for Sire/London Records (her only major label debut to date.) This was followed by Kane's "Rounder/Bullseye" release, "The Toughest Girl Alive" produced by Scott Billington. Now Kane is signed to Germany based Ruf Records. Subsequent titles include "Whole Lotta Love" produced by Val Garay and "White Trash Girl" produced in Austin by Mark Kaz Kazanoff.

Personal life

In March 2008, Kane revealed on her web site that she has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and is undergoing treatment. (Actually the tumor was found to be a neuroendocrine tumor and was successfully resected on April 18, 2008 at UCSD Medical Center/ Thornton Hospital by Dr. Andrew Lowy.) [Citation |title=Candye Kane -- News |url=http://www.candyekane.com/news.html |date=2008-03-27 |accessdate=2008-04-05] She appears often at Gay Pride festivals worldwide and identifies openly as a bisexual. [Citation |title=Candye Kane's bodacious blues |first=Brad |last=Wheeler |url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070712.BLUES12/TPStory/TPEntertainment/Music/ |date=2007-07-12 |accessdate=2007-07-16 |work=The Globe and Mail] She has two grown sons, one of whom - Evan Caleb - plays drums in her road band.

Talk show guest

Her background as an L.A. punk rock anarchist and her outspoken activism for the disenfranchised make her a sought after talk show guest and interviewee. She has appeared on "Donny and Marie", "Penn and Tellers Sin City Spectacular", "Queen Latifah", "Roseanne", "Maury Povich", "Montel Williams", "Leeza Gibbons", "The Point with Greta Van Susteran", "MTV News" and "HBO Sexbytes."

ongwriting

Kane is a composer and writer of songs such as "The Toughest Girl Alive" on the "Hidden Palms" series for the CW network, "Who do you love? Its alright" nominated for an OUT music award, "200 Pounds of Fun" featured in the motion picture, "The Girl Next Door"; "For Your Love" included on an episode of the "Chris Isaak show"; "Please Tell me a Lie" in the motion picture "Heavy" starring Deborah Harry; "You need a Great Big Woman to show you how to love" on the Oxygen Network series, "Strong Medicine"; "The Lord was a Woman", recorded by comedienne Judy Tenuta are just a few titles from Candye’s abundant catalog of original music.

Current career and touring

Her eighth CD, released in May 2007, "Guitar’d and Feathered" features performances by Candye’s closest guitar playing pals. Ana Popovic, Sue Foley, Junior Watson, Dave Alvin, Popa Chubby, Bob Brozman, Kid Ramos, Jeff Ross and Heine Andersen. Produced by former Muddy Waters guitarist, Bob Margolin who also lends his guitar skills to the works.

Kane tours worldwide more than 250 days a year. She has appeared in countless countries and on many prestigious festivals including the Ascona jazz Festival, Midem. The Paleo Festival, The Monterey Jazz Festival, The Dubai Jazz festival, The Waterfront Blues Festival, the Notodden Blues festival and many, many more. She has played for the President of Italy at the French Embassy in Rome and at the Cannes Film Festival. Her music is often featured on "Bluesville" on XM radio.

Drag queens around the world plan to perform Kane's material, including lip synching her songs on the CW network show "Hidden Palms" on her website against John Waters' refusal to allow her to release his song "Female Trouble" on her latest cd.

Awards

Kane is currently nominated for a National Blues Foundation Award for Best Contemporary Blues Female of 2008. www.bluesfoundation.org She has won numerous awards, including the Best Blues Band award at the San Diego Music Awards 7 times, including in 2006. Other recent honors include winning an OUT music award in 2006 for Best Art Design for her 7th CD, "White Trash Girl"; Best Blues CD of 2005 at the San Diego Music Awards; the Trophees France International Award 2004 for Best International Blues Chanteuse and Artist of the Year. She also unseated Jewel for Artist of the Year at the San Diego Music Awards and won the California Music Award for Best Swing-Cabaret Artist. In May 2007, Kane won an award for Best Original Blues composition by the West Coast Songwriters Association for her song, "I'm my own worst enemy".

Discography

* Guitar'd and Feathered (2007)
* White Trash Girl (2005)
* Whole Lotta Love (2003)
* The Toughest Girl Alive (2000)
* Any Womans Blues (2000)
* 30 Essential Women of the Blues (1999)
* Swango (1998)
* Diva La Grande (1997)
* Knockout (1995)
* Home Cookin' (1994)

Filmography

* Boobsville Cabaret (1998) (V)
* Best Of Breasts 3 (1995) (V)
* Blue Vanities S-579 (1995) (V)
* Candy's Back (1995) (V)
* Blue Vanities 221 (1994) (V)
* Candye Kane (1992) (V)
* Big Tit Orgy 4 (1991) (V)
* Ten Years of Big Busts (1989) (V)
* The Best of Titfucking (1988) (V)
* Bra Breakers Vol. 1 (1988) (V)
* Legends of Lust 2: Christy Canyon(1987) (V)
* Let Me Tell Ya Bout Fat Chicks (1987) (V)
* Best of Big Busty (1986) (V)
* Between My Breasts 3 (1986) (V)
* Bouncin' in the U.S.A. (1986) (V)
* Big Melons 5 (1985) (V)
* 2 Tons Of Fun (1985) (V)
* Huge Bras 4 (1985) (V)
* Big Busty 17 (1986) (V)
* Big Busty 14 (1986) (V)
* Big Melons 3 (1985) (V)
* Diamond Collection 65 (1985) (V)
* I Want It All (1984) (V)
* Big Busty 5 (1984) (V)
* Candy Girls 4 (1984) (V)
* Huge Bras 2 (1983) (V)
* Big Busty 3 (1983) (V)

References

ee also

* Alt country
* Punk music

External links

* [http://www.candyekane.com Official website]
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