Her backstory is almost as impressive as her singing: In 1988, when she was still an aspiring artist in her native Memphis, she attended a Patti LaBelle show. Feelgood,” retaining the power and feel of the originals while making them her own. She’s deft and audacious enough to take on warhorses such as “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and Aretha Franklin’s “Dr. Melvia “Chick” Rodgers-Williams is a dynamic, versatile blues and soul vocalist with a pretty sparse recorded legacy (mostly under her maiden name, Melvia “Chick” Rodgers). This holiday season, save a space for local journalism.

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