Cover photo © 2025 Laura Carbone
There is an abundance of musicians in New Orleans. Some say there must be something in the water, because if you have grown up there, it’s a given that you are musical in some way. And it’s not unusual for many of those musicians to have great singing voices. However, it is relatively rare for a voice to stand out as being soulful enough to place it in the league with living legends like Irma Thomas and Cyril Neville. Sierra Green is arguably one of those voices.
Sierra grew up singing in the Nazarene Missionary Baptist Church as young as eight years old. While some of her other family members also sang in the church choir, none were professional musicians, and Sierra was never given any formal singing lessons. Her natural talent caught the attention of the choir director, but even with that encouragement, she wasn’t initially positive she would make music her profession.
“Mr. Clyde was our choir director. He must have seen something in me, because he started to give me solos in the church. The best thing I learned from him was not to be afraid and to push myself. While I loved singing in church, I wasn’t sure I would try to make it my career. I went to college for psychology, and I wanted to become a child psychologist. I initially studied for two years at Dillard University, but then Katrina hit, and I ended up having to relocate to Oklahoma City. Then I attended Oklahoma University for a year but had to drop out and work. I just couldn’t afford to keep attending school. It was one of the saddest things I had to do, but I had to survive. I worked as a manager for convenience stores, Walgreen’s and Target, but then realized that I wanted to sing more. Many people from New Orleans had relocated to Oklahoma City, so people were starting to invest in bars and venues where there could be live music. It made me realize that I wanted to go home. My big break happened when I returned to New Orleans and was busking outside of the House of Blues, just singing acapella. This guy passed and asked me if I had a band, and I lied and said I did, so he offered me a gig. I just started asking musicians if they could come support me for this gig, and those same musicians ended up being my first band for a year and a half.”
Her persistent busking, seven days a week, led to her earning the title ‘Queen of Frenchman Street’, which was an honor bestowed on her by fellow musician Jake Gold. Her first band was called The Sierra Leone Experience but soon changed to the name Sierra Green and the Soul Machine. Her current band is called Sierra Green and the Giants.
Sierra’s very first vocal influence had been Whitney Houston, but Etta James, Billie Holiday, Chaka Khan, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, Sharon Jones, and Irma Thomas were also significant influences, as she loves that “old school sound”. Approximately nine years ago, Sierra had the opportunity to work with Irma Thomas.
“There were these auditions for the play about her life, called Simply Irma. I wanted to try out for the role of Ruth Brown and for the audition I had prepared one of Irma’s songs to sing for the director, not knowing that Irma, herself, would be there. So, I had to sing her song in front of her. Luckily, she liked the way I sang it, and they gave me the role of Ruth Brown. Irma has become like an aunt to me. I was always able to sing, but I was shy and didn’t know how to work a room. She taught me how to hold the microphone and work the room. She gave me stage presence.”
In a relatively short period of time, Sierra was offered opportunities others wait decades to achieve, including playing Jazz Fest several times and touring with Devon Allman and Duane Betts as part of the Allman Family Revival.
“This year will be my fourth time playing JazzFest. It’s special because it is a part of my culture, in my neighborhood and I get to have my family and friends all see me on that stage. It’s a big deal for them to get to see me there. And the Allman Family Revival has spoiled me, taking me all around the world. We’re going to Europe next, and I’m excited because I’ve never been to Europe.”
However, Sierra’s musical journey hasn’t always been easy, and like other women in the industry, she has faced her share of sexist attitudes from venue owners, bookers and promoters.
“When I first started, nobody knew who I was, and they wouldn’t listen to me. And I had to walk away from some situations that just didn’t feel right. I told Mike Perez he would have to act as my manager at first. He would push my name. They would hire him, but then I would be the star of the show. Thank God I haven’t had to deal with that lately. I’m getting more seasoned in life, and I know business from not business. To all the females in the industry, stand on business. You don’t have to adhere to a man or anybody if you’ve got skills. If it doesn’t feel right, it ain’t right, so just walk away.”
Like many other musicians, Sierra struggles to balance her touring career and family life, as she has an eight-year-old son.
“He’s eight years old going on thirty-two! He’s one of my main inspirations and motivations. The success is great, but it’s very much bittersweet. I’m pretty much a single mother and it’s hard to tour when I’m leaving a big part of my life behind. It’s hard to leave your heart at home.”
Sierra’s first album, Sierra Green & the Soul Machine, was self-released and copies are now difficult to find. However, it received the honor of being one of only 30 albums to be featured in the New Orleans’ Public Library’s special curated music platform, Crescent City Sounds, which is focused on local musicians. Her latest album, Sierra Green & the Giants: Here We Are, was produced by JD Simo and David Torkanowsky, and was released on Big Radio Records. It contains an intriguing version of the Allman Brothers Band’s song, Dreams.
“I’m a singer, not a writer, but every song on my first album was taken out of my diary, so they are very personal songs. Mike Perez just took what I had written and was able to turn that into songs. One of my favorite songs from that album is Take a Chance. It was basically my plea that I’m a great entertainer—I need you to hear me and take a chance on my music. For the latest album, my management (a joint effort by Rueben Williams, Adam Shipley and Jude Chauvin) just told me they were sending me off to Nashville to record. JD Simo is a good friend of theirs and they have worked with him for a long time. He is great fun to work with and loves my vocals, so it was easy letting him produce me. He allows my creative space to open up, when I want to do something different. For example, my management thought I should do an Allman Brothers song, so I sang Dreams, but I did it the way I would do it. I made it my own and they loved it, so I feel good about that!”
For future projects, Sierra plans to try her hand at songwriting. While she has had numerous fantastic opportunities, she noted that there are still dreams she would love to accomplish.
“I wish I had the opportunity to work with Whitney Houston before she died, but if there is one living person that I wish I could open for, it would be Leon Bridges. He’s a great artist with an old Al Green-type voice and sound. I just like his voice and what he sings about. He sings about love and cherishing a woman, and I like his tone.
And, while she is now getting to travel all over the world, Sierra holds a very special fondness for the music and people of New Orleans.
“I’d like to do a special shout out to all of the musicians that I have ever worked with. I feel like I’m moving in my life and in my spirit and only moving up from here, but I want to let them know I won’t forget those good times and they can always call on me. The music of New Orleans is special. We celebrate everything with music, even death. It doesn’t take too much to have a celebration. We celebrate everything about life and death, whether it’s good or bad, we’ll turn it into a poem. Whether it’s a happy event, or you divorced your husband, it’s party time and it’s a good escape.”
Want to learn more about this passionate and dynamic singer with the “old school” influence? You can find out where to catch Sierra Green’s shows and purchase her latest album at www.sierragreenandthegiants.com
