When singing sensation Shemekia Copeland first appeared on the scene in 1997 with her groundbreaking debut CD, Turn The Heat Up, she quickly became, at 18 years old, a roots music superstar. Critics from around the country celebrated Shemekia's music as fans of all ages agreed that an unstoppable new talent had arrived. Shemekia released two more CDs: 2000s Grammy-nominated Wicked and 2002's Talking To Strangers, and in that short period of time, collected five Blues Music Awards, a Grammy nomination, five Living Blues Awards, and was honored with the coveted "Talent Deserving Wider Recognition" Award by the DownBeat Critics’ Poll.