Marcia Ball

Geography partly explains the power and appeal of blues belter and boogie-woogie piano banger Marcia Ball—but, again, only partly.

Raised on the Texas border in the small Southwestern Louisiana town of Vinton, Ball discovered her own voice at ground zero of American roots music. Rockabilly, zydeco, country, R&B, swamp rock and juke-joint blues poured through the airwaves and the clubs around her Deep South home, but it was a move to Austin, Texas, and a connection with the outlaw-country scene that opened up her songwriting to more than just jumpin'-blues novelties. With an instinct for business and an ear for a decent hook, the lithe singer has become one of contemporary blues' most successful and consistent singers and a guaranteed raucous live performer.