Susan Tedeschi

Susan Tedeschi was born on November 9, 1970, in Boston, Massachusetts, and grew up in Norwell. Her early exposure to music included her father’s vinyl record collection, featuring artists like Mississippi John Hurt and Lightnin’ Hopkins, and singing in predominantly African-American Baptist churches, which she found more inspiring than traditional church choirs. Tedeschi began forming bands at age 13, and by 18, she had established her first original group, the Smokin’ Section. She furthered her musical education at Berklee College of Music, where she sang in a gospel choir and performed on the Spirit of Boston. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree in musical composition and performance at age 20, immersing herself in the Boston music scene and participating in local blues jams.

Tedeschi founded the Susan Tedeschi Band in 1993. Her regional album, “Better Days,” was released in December 1995. In 1998, she released “Just Won’t Burn” under her sole name, featuring Sean Costello, which garnered positive critical attention and achieved Gold record status for sales of 500,000 in the United States by 2000. This success was significant for a blues production of that era. Throughout 1998 and 1999, Tedeschi toured extensively across the U.S. and performed at the Lilith Fair festival. She frequently served as an opening act for prominent artists such as John Mellencamp, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, The Allman Brothers Band, Taj Mahal, and Bob Dylan, which helped her gain national exposure, including opening for The Rolling Stones in 2003 and appearing on PBS’s “Austin City Limits” in 2004.

In 1999, Tedeschi met Derek Trucks, the slide guitarist for The Allman Brothers Band, while opening for them. They married in 2001 and subsequently toured together under the name Soul Stew Revival, which included members from both of their bands. In 2010, Tedeschi and Trucks decided to merge their musical endeavors, forming the Tedeschi Trucks Band. This new group focused on original material and quickly gained recognition, performing at major events like Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival and Fuji Rock Festival. The band continued to release critically acclaimed albums such as “Revelator” (2011), which won a Grammy Award for Best Blues Album in 2012, and “Made Up Mind” (2013). Her career has been marked by multiple Grammy nominations, demonstrating her consistent impact and artistic achievement in the blues and Americana genres.