Over her 42 years of touring, West Indies-born British singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading has never done a solo world tour. For her last major tour, which kicked off in Britain in September, the three-time Grammy nominee will perform her first ever full-scale solo concerts.
Her U.S. performances will include songs that span her entire career so far, with songs like "Love And Affection," "Willow" and "Drop The Pilot."
She will perform at City Winery Chicago April 23-24, 2015. Tickets are $85, $95 and $105 and go on sale Nov. 6, 2014. See www.citywinery.com/chicago/ .
"I will never retire, but this will be the last major tour that I will undertake," Armatrading said of her 2014-2015 world tour. Although the celebrated U.K. singer-songwriter plans to continue performing on occasion, she's decided not to undertake large-scale tours in the future. She sees the occasion of her extended final world tour as an opportunity to connect with her passionate, fiercely loyal international fan base in an appropriately intimate and personal manner.
"I want it to be a special one-to-one experience," Armatrading states. "So for the first time, these concerts will be me solo on stage playing and singing. These will be lively interactive concerts, because I will be asking the audience to put their questions to me on the night."
Armatrading's long and prestigious resume includes three Grammy nominations, two Brit nominations and a coveted Ivor Novello Award. She performed for Nelson Mandela on two occasions, and is one of the first female artists to have been awarded with an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II. Armatrading is also the first female U.K. artist to have debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Blues chart and the first female U.K. artist to be nominated for a Grammy in the Blues category.
With her history-making tour already in progress and several months of concerts ahead of her, Armatrading is excited by the prospect of communing, and reconnecting, with her fans, in what promise to be some of the most intimate and personal performances of her career.
"I have absolutely enjoyed the last 42 years of performances," she said. "Now, with my final major tour, I want to capture a unique memory, for both myself and the audience."
Armatrading is private about her personal life, but as Wikipedia notes: "In April 2011, it was reported that Armatrading and her girlfriend Maggie Butler were to enter a civil partnership on 2 May 2011, in the Shetland Isles."