How does a teenage girl from Ottawa, Canada become one of the most decorated electric blues guitarists in Texas and then earn a PhD in musicology? This deep dive traces the extraordinary path of Sue Foley, born March 29, 1968, who picked up the guitar at 13 after falling for the Rolling Stones, played her first professional gig at 16 with Back Alley John, and moved to Vancouver after graduation to form the Sue Foley Band. A punishing 1989 tour with Mark Hummel logged around 300 dates in a single year, forging the stage authority that caught the ear of Clifford Antone in Memphis and led to her Austin relocation at 21 and her 1992 debut Young Girl Blues.

From there the awards piled up: a 2001 Juno for Love Comin Down, three Trophees de Blues de France, 17 Maple Blues Awards, and the Koko Taylor Award for Traditional Blues Female Artist five c ...