Queen Sylvia Embry

Sylvia Lee Embry (née Barton) (14 June 1941 – 28 February 1992; Wabbaseka, Arkansas), better known as Queen Sylvia Embry, was an American blues bassist and vocalist.

One of the few women in blues to master the bass guitar professionally, Embry was celebrated for her deep, gospel-infused vocals and a rhythmic proficiency that impressed industry legends like Willie Dixon. A staple of the Chicago club circuit, she rose from a side musician to a bandleader and international touring artist, leaving a distinct mark on the genre through her work with the American Folk Blues Festival and her solo recordings.

Early Life

Born in rural Wabbaseka, Arkansas, Embry began her musical journey on the piano, an instrument she learned as a girl under the strict encouragement of her grandmother. Her powerful voice soon drew attention, leading to a position with The Southern Echoes, a professional gospel group. At the age of 19, she moved to Memphis to pursue a singing career; however, when immediate success proved elusive, she settled in the city, married, and began raising a family. Following the dissolution of her first marriage, she relocated to Chicago in the early 1960s, seeking new opportunities in the city's vibrant South Side club scene.

Career

In Chicago, she met and married the rising guitarist Johnny Embry, who taught her to play the bass guitar. She initially performed in his band, The Blues Kings, before joining Lefty Dizz as the bassist for his group, Shock Treatment. This ensemble became the house band for the popular Blue Monday sessions at The Checkerboard Lounge, where Embry’s gospel-soaked vocals became a central feature of the show. Her recording debut with Johnny, After Work (1980), was released on Razor Records, a subsidiary of Alligator Records. That same year, she led her own band on four tracks for Alligator’s acclaimed compilation Living Chicago Blues Vol. 6. Her growing reputation led to appearances at Willie Dixon’s Mississippi Blues Festival and the American Folk Blues Festival tours of Europe in 1982 and 1983, the latter dedicated to the memory of Muddy Waters. During this period, she also collaborated with guitarist Jimmy Dawkins, who appeared on her 1983 solo album Midnight Baby.

Personal Life

Embry and Johnny divorced prior to his death in 1985, though they remained musical collaborators and friends. Despite the personal loss, she continued to tour, notably joining The Mississippi All-Stars for a world tour in 1986, where she shared the stage with the renowned harmonica player Sam Myers. By the late 1980s, her health had begun to decline due to cancer. She passed away in Chicago on 28 February 1992, at the age of 50.