Joan Faulkner – Biography

What better way to describe her: Joan Faulkner is, quite simply, the Voice. Having been taught to sing Gospel music as a small child, she has since never looked back. Indeed, her repertoire today includes jazz, blues, soul, pop – and even a techno smash single in Austria and Belgium. She’s come a long way for the daughter of a preacher man. And she will certainly go much much further, given her perfect professionalism and stunning stage presence.

The Voice is behind some of Germany’s best-selling musical exports. Star producer Frank Farian noticed Joan’s brilliance, terming her’ “the best voice in Germany”. And soon she was bringing zest to Boney M. and full sound to Milli Vanilli. Insiders immediately noticed it was Joan’s voice powering the latter group’s hit single “Blame it On the Rain.” It is safe to say that Joan Faulkner is one of the best American voices on the Continent.

For Joan, there is only one way to sing, namely live. Which is only natural given her roots playing smaller jazz and blues clubs. This is something you can still feel in her superb sense of timing and stage presence.

Only without a mike or amplifier, or so she believes, can one really convey the spirituality innate in every song. Songs, they come from the heart and not just the lungs. It is this aura that has inspired audiences in such renowned venues as “Tiger Palast”, the prime European variety theater, and captivated the masses at Dortmund’s huge “Westfalenhalle”. For Joan, it is this quality communication with the listeners which is the essence of her job – and her mission. ‘I know that’s what I’m on earth to do.” Hardly surprisingly, both Ray Charles and Percy Sledge chose Joan to open for them in Germany…

“Singing is all I have to say,” Joan Faulkner confesses modestly. But it’s plenty, as shown by her 1989 German “Artist of the Year” award and her NAACP 1991 award. It is truly food for the soul. Joan reaches out all of them. Be it from such classic big stages as Frankfurt’s Alte Oper, as where she sang with Georg Dalaris’ esteemed orchestra or the countless gala shows where she has topped the bill. Or when feeling fully at home out in front for a Big band or for some of the European jazz greats, such as Bill Ramsey, Horst Jankowski, Peter Herbolzheimer, Hugo Strasser and Thilo Wolf. Not to forget versatile German chansonier Howerd Carpendale, with whom she sung 21 nights in a row at the luxurious Friedrichpalast. Or the big names of German popular music Roberto Blanco and Jennifer Rush. Or giants of the American scene playing Europe, such as the Weather Girls, Al Martino, or Mary Wilson.

In the digital age, it may seem almost old-fashioned to sing soulfully from the heart. But it is what people want to hear. Small wonder that Joan is in such great demand for charity galas and shows. She has, for example, worked on TV with La Bouche singing “Candle in the Wind” with them at a benefit on behalf of Mother Teresa. She has most recently brought this experience to bear strongly on the television and not just in countless shows, but in a new career as an actress.
In German prime-time TV series, “Klinik unter Palmen”, featuring such star actors as Klausjürgen Wussow and Harald Juhnke (who has the enviable role of her boss), Joan plays the part of friendly, heart-rent nurse Ella. And she contributed “Groove Me” and “Together” as the series’ signature tunes. Direktor Otto Retzer commented: “Joan is an absolte natural bornactress.” Which is doubly great in that she has masterfully managed the transition to acting in a language which is not her mother tongue. Joan Faulkner: The Voice of the New World in the Old World.


The show 3 Ladies of Blues began in 2001 on a prestigious Jazz Festival in Burghausen, Germany, at the Stadthalle open-air.  The public stood for two (2)hours with their umbrella's in the pouring rain to see and watch this fabulous show.

This show represents the History of the Classic Blues Ladies, who were the Blues Innovators from the late 1800's early 1900's such as Ma Rainey (Gertrude Pridgett), the Queen Mother of Blues, Empress of the Blues, Bessie Smith, later came Ida Cox, Lady Day Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, and several other Black American Women who are represented in this show.  We are Keeping their stories and songs alive through us today.  Some of the Titles from the Show today are See See Rider, Ma Rainey's original, or St Louis Blues written by W.C. Handy which Bessie Smith made famous with a Big Hit.  The show intergrates Gospel, because in that time Gospel was the tradition for all Black Americans.  The title Highway to Heaven is included in our show.  There are also popular titles of today which the public will recognize.  The tradition of Glamor, Sequin Gowns, Hats, Feather Boa's, gives you the feeling that you are back in a time gone by. The show is a theatre piece with humor, laughter, the public can sing along and enjoy 3 Beautiful Ladies of Song Joanne Bell, Harriet Lewis, and Joan Faulkner, Manager and Founder of this show accompanied by our Musical Director Gustav Csik Trio.

This show has travel extensively since it began in 2001, on Festivals and Galas in Germany, for instance Rheingau Festival in Johannisburg, Kempton, Koln, Frankfurt, and throughtout Europe, such as Paris, Monte Carlo, Wenn, France, Vienna, Graz, Austria, Prague Czech, Bratislavia, Slovakia, Pori, Laiti, Finland, Tallin, Estonia, Athen, Greece, Combria, Portual, Dubrovnik, Croatia, MS Europa, Ascona, Blue Note Biel, Geneva, Switzerland, Umbria Jazz Festival Perugia, Blue Note Milan, Bolonga, Ischia, Italy to name a few.

Several Great Reviews have been written over this show, and also information over 3 Ladies of Blues in Facebook.  

Contact for Bookings or Information: 
Just Jazz in Koln, Germany.
Petra Johansen:  e-mail p.johansen@justjazz.de
Tel:  0049-221-250-81890
Fax: 0049-221-250-8189-29