Lydia Pense
Lydia Pense | |
---|---|
Birth name | Lydia Jane Pense |
Born | December 14, 1947 |
Origin | San Francisco, California |
Genres | Rock, Urban contemporary, Blue-eyed soul, East Bay Grease |
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[2] and Aretha Franklin.
History[]
Lydia Pense was born in San Francisco on December 14, 1947, and lived there until age 10 until the family moved to Redwood City, California.[3] At age 14, while attending Sequoia High School, Pense started singing with a band called The Dimensions, with Guitarist , Larry Hatch and Kerry Yates.[3] She was a fan of Brenda Lee and was singing her songs, but the band encouraged her to sing R&B in the style of James Brown, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, and Ray Charles.
Janis Joplin had recommended Lydia Pense audition for the band Cold Blood to music promoter Bill Graham.[2] Lydia joined Cold Blood in 1968 and the band was one of the earliest music groups to be signed by Bill Graham's .[4]
The band Cold Blood separated in the late 1970s. Pense suspended her music career in the early 1980s to raise her daughter Danielle, before re-forming the group in 1988.[5] The band continues to record, tour and perform.
Discography[]
Their initial four albums, Cold Blood, Sisyphus, First Taste of Sin (produced by Donny Hathaway), and Thriller remain their best known work.
Albums[]
Year | Album name | Band | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1969 | Cold Blood | Cold Blood | |
1971 | Sisyphus | Cold Blood | [6] |
1972 | Lights Out San Francisco (Voco Presents The Soul Of The Bay Area) | Various artists | Performed with the band, Tower of Power.[7] |
1972 | First Taste of Sin | Cold Blood | |
1973 | Thriller | Cold Blood | |
1974 | Lydia | Cold Blood | |
1975 | The Best of Cold Blood | Cold Blood | |
1976 | Lydia Pense & Cold Blood | Lydia Pense and Cold Blood | this was the last album before the band's hiatus.[5] |
2001 | Vintage Blood: Live! 1973 | Live album | |
2005 | Transfusion | Lydia Pense and Cold Blood | |
2008 | Lydia Pense & Cold Blood: Live Blood "Live Album" | Lydia Pense and Cold Blood | |
2011 | The River City Sessions | Lydia Pense and Cold Blood | |
2015 | Soul Of The Gypsy | Lydia Pense and Cold Blood | [8] |
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "California Birth Index, 1905-1995 [database on-line]". United States: The Generations Network. 2005. Retrieved 2009-11-23.
- ^ a b Vitt, Janet (2017-04-30). "Lydia Pense lends her powerful voice to fundraiser at Harlow's". Sacramento Bee. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
- ^ a b "Lydia Pense: hot sounds with Cold Blood". The Mercury News. 2015-10-07. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
- ^ "Lydia Pense and Cold Blood". SFMuseum.org. The Millard Agency. 1969. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
- ^ a b "Lydia Pense & Cold Blood - Back Here Again". Paste Magazine. 1998-06-12. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
- ^ "Cold Blood - Sisyphus". Discogs. Retrieved 2020-01-28.
- ^ "Various - Lights Out: San Francisco (Voco Presents The Soul Of The Bay Area)". Discogs. Retrieved 2020-01-28.
- ^ "Lydia Pense & Cold Blood* - Soul Of The Gypsy". Discogs. Retrieved 2020-01-28.
External links[]
- 1947 births
- Living people
- American dance musicians
- American women singers
- American rhythm and blues singers
- Singers from San Francisco
- Jazz musicians from San Francisco
- People from Redwood City, California
- 21st-century American women
- American rhythm and blues singer stubs