Born in the cement-city of Arlington. Raised off the back-roads of Roanoke. Texas. Daddy always kept movin’, so she did, too.

At a young age, Bear’s father’s job took them around the country, finally settling back in Texas at age 12.

The youngest of 4 children, Bear didn’t grow up with music lessons. She had her mother’s Beach Boys and Elvis vinyl. Her father’s John Denver and Frank Sinatra 8-tracks. Her sisters’ Quiet Riot tapes and her brother’s Zeppelin albums.


Ever the old soul, she got her hands on the “Stand By Me” movie soundtrack. Man, oh man! Shirley Lee’s growl! Jerry Lee Lewis' energy! A croony Buddy Holly and the swoony Bobbettes. She sang along with all of them.

Then, in her teens, it was Led Zeppelin and the ‘Stones. Run DMC and the Beastie Boys. The Grateful Dead. Gillian Welch. Lucinda Williams.

She found Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, T Bone Walker, Big Momma Thornton, Etta James and Hollywood Fats. She saved up her tips from waitressing to see B.B. King - front row at the Austin Music Hall. A birthday present to her young self.

There was Jimmie Rodgers. Then, Del McCoury.

At long last a friend pulled out a vinyl record one day, “Bear, check these guys out.”…. The Black Keys.

The Black Keys led her over the Mississippi hills to Holly Springs.

RL Burnside. Junior Kimbrough.

They felt like home.

Longer grooves. A raw, unpolished sound. This was it!

Bear arrived in Austin, Texas. It was 1995. She was 17 years old.

Antone’s Blues Club was still a shady joint on Guadalupe St. with low ceilings and even lower hanging clouds of cigarette smoke.

Music poured from the clubs: Joe’s Generic Bar. The 311 Club. Hondo’s. TC’s Lounge.

Music was everywhere. Threadgills. The Continental Club. Saxon Pub and Momo’s. It was in clubs, out in the streets, on the front porches, and spilling over in back yards.

Bear had a passion for the music. She took odd jobs just to work in the clubs. She was on the scene and crashed on it’s couch.

It would be another 15 years before a curious person asked her to sit behind a drum kit and play a beat. And then, “sing a little sumthin“.

Off she went!!!

A duo was born. Bear on drums and vocals. 100 gigs in her first year and a national tour in year two. She eventually stepped out from behind the drum kit and founded the 5-piece group, “Red On Yellow”. A few more national tours. Austin residencies. And then… a global pandemic.

It was a brutal blessing.

The world came to a grinding halt. Gigs and tours cancelled. Locked-up like a caged animal, Bear picked up the left handed acoustic guitar that had been gathering dust in the corner of her living room. She started to work on some callouses.

She plugged away at those old 3 chords and the truth. She fumbled through 12 bars; Don’t forget the turn around. 

It all sounded the same and she was bored.

Then… a buddy surprised her with a Cigar Box Guitar. 

It was even LEFT HANDED!

She sat down and started to play rhythmic drones and slide guitar. There it was! There was the rotten, low down, no good tone she needed to accompany her growling vocals. 

A solo project was born.

With a sound heavily influenced by country, bluegrass, rock n roll, and blues - Bear started to make the music that she yearned to hear; The music she longed for was rarely written from the female perspective.

“It’s just rock n roll … comin’ from a lady-person.”

That was that.

Ask her what she plays, and she’ll tell you it’s ‘git down music’.

“It’ll either bring you down, or make you wanna GIT DOWN. Either way…. that’s what I play.”

With a big voice and a low growl, some left-handed slide guitar, a swampy tone, and a knack for story-telling… Bear brings an enchanting performance to crowds of any kind.