Queen Bey

Queen Bey is an artist and jazz educator with a long career in film, theater, and music.

The New York Times recognized Queen Bey as one of the best known jazz artists from Kansas City, along with Charlie Parker, Count Basie, and Max Roach.

Queen’s wide repertoire of jazz and blues standards and innovative and often unknown songs are drawn from her first-hand experiences working with the legends of jazz and blues. Queen’s style, “a natural and understated approach to the material make for a solid crowd pleaser” according to Variety magazine.

Queen has performed with B.B. King, The Platters and the late jazz pianist Earl Garner. She received rave reviews in the national entertainment magazine Variety and The New York Times for her act at New York’s Michael’s Pub.

Queen Bey was the first jazz artist to receive the coveted Governor’s Arts Award, given to her in recognition of her efforts in promoting the heritage of jazz and the blues.

Queen Bey has served as Kansas City’s Ambassador of Jazz, performing in Costa Rica, Uruguay, Germany, Hungary, Switzerland, Argentina, Holland, Belgium, Ethiopia, and France promoting jazz and blues music on behalf of the United States and jazz organizations. In 2000, she represented the United States at the World Expo in Hanover, Germany.

Ms. Bey has acted on stage and television and in film, including Broadway musicals – Ain’t Misbehavin, One Mo’ Time and Blues in the Night.

Her television debut was an NBC mini-series, Matter of Justice, co-starring Patty Duke and Martin Sheen. Her film debut was in the movie Ninth Street with Martin Sheen and Isaac Hayes.

Concert – History of Jazz & Blues

Theatre – Bessie

• $3,500 (Price may vary depending on the venue)
• Master Class w/trio – $2,500.00

• Lecture on Jazz & Blues.
• Masterclass – Stage presence & career
  How to build your career, how to walk on stage, how to stand, how to prepare and present, preparing your contract if you don’t have representation, how to set up songs, general dos and donts in the arts.

Jazz in the Classroom
What is Jazz, Blues, Ragtime, Swing, etc. History of our traditional American music. What, when, where it all comes from and how all cultures made it happen. Discussion of segments from the book “Writings in Jazz” by Dr. Nathan Davis, KU Alumni & Jazz Educator
After more than 50 years in the music business, Queen Bey’s love of jazz and blues can only be surpassed by her enthusiasm for introducing young people to jazz. Queen Bey has been working with students since the early 1980’s.
Musically, Queen Bey takes students through gospel, blues and scat, and its relationship to rap music. Queen Bey provides in-school performances, workshops, audience discussions, master classes, and artist in residence programs to schools, colleges, universities and organizations. Performances are accompanied by a pianist or her full quartet band.
From San Angelo, Texas to Uruguay, to Germany, Queen Bey has delighted young audiences with her professional performances, her workshops, and her words of encouragement.