About Diunna
BIOGRAPHY
Diunna Greenleaf, the leader of Blue Mercy, is a native Texan (Houston) who has a background steeped in gospel music. Influencedby the likes of Koko Taylor, Aretha Franklin, Rosetta Thorpe, Sam Cooke, Charles Brown and her own parents Ben & Mary Ella Greenleaf (Gospel). She has developed "Diunna's style of Blues" in the same tradition as so many other great Texas blues menand women. She combines intricate patches of jazz, gospel and heartfelt soul to create a kind blues that takes one on an emotional roller coaster ride.
Diunna and her band Blue Mercy have performed throughout the United States and Internationally. She has performed at the Lugano Blues Festival and the Bern Jazz Festival, both in Switzerland, as well as the Cahors Blues Festival in France. Diunna has opened for and performed with the likes of Bob Margolin, Keb Mo, Willie “Pinetop” Perkins, Hubert Sumlin, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, James Cotton, Carrie Bell, Big Bill Morganfield, Smoking Joe Kubek and B’NoisKing, Anson Funderburge, Sam Meyers and the Rockets, Bernard Allison, Odetta, Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers, I.J. Gosey, Sherman Robertson, Kenny Neal, Percy Sledge and the late great Teddy “Cry Cry” Reynolds, and numerous others.
Diunna's commitment to Blues goes well beyond performing on stage. She served for three years as President of the Houston Blues Society, making history as the first woman ever elected to this position. During her presidency she used her professional guidance and grant writing skills to produce the Willie Mae Thornton Blues Festival, bringing in such talent as “The Queen Of Blues” Mrs. Koko Taylor, Mr. Bernard Allison, Texas Johnny Brown, I.J. Gosey, Diane Price, Mel Waiters, Betty Lewis, Gary Clark, Jr., Jeremy And The Hotboys, along with many others. Diunna started the annual Houston Blues Society Founders Day and actively continued the Blues In Schools Program throughout the state. She is one of the founders of Friends of Blues Montgomery County. Diunna was nominated for the "Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year" at the 2009 Blues Music Awards; she was the winner of "Best New Artist Debut" at the 2008 Blues Music Awards where she was also nominated for "Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year." Diunna was nominated for the "Koko Taylor Award-Traditional Blues Female" and "Traditional Blues Album-Trying To Hold On" at the 2012 Blues Music Awards. She was the winner of the "Koko Taylor Award-Traditional Blues Female" in 2014 and 2017. Her latest CD "Trying To Hold On" reached #1 on XM/Sirius Radio Bluesville Chart, #1 on French Blues charts, #1 on Living Blues charts for the month of December 2012, and reached the top of Blues charts in UK, Australia and USA.
Named Living Blues Magazine's 2015 Female Artist of the Year.
