Melissa is a resident artist with LEAF Global Arts, the co-founder of Women to the Front Music Festival, a board member of AVLFest, the director of The One Voice Project, the artist-curator for Black Mountain Blues, and a small business owner. Recently she advanced to the finals of the International Blues competition in Memphis and was awarded the opportunity to sing at the historic Orpheum Theatre. Melissa’s biggest joy comes from performing alongside her daughter, K McKinney, who is also a musician/singer/songwriter.

“Melissa sings from the depths of her soul. When she opens her mouth, I feel like I am connecting to Janis Joplin and Mahala Jackson but yet also like a sound I have never heard before. When I asked her what her influences were, she replied…trauma. You can hear that in each note. However, Melissa chose to channel her trauma into something meaningful and healing and she has done a damn good job at it.”