Janet Z Janet Z. was born and raised in Texas in a very musical family. She learned to play guitar from her sister when she was sixteen and would practice on the rooftop outside of her bedroom late nights after the rest of the family had gone to bed. She continued playing guitar for fun throughout her college days and when she returned home the yearning to sing drew her to local jam sessions to play. She hooked up with guitarist, David Hargraves, formerly of Cold Feet, to begin her first professional outing as ‘REDS’. Through this venue, she was introduced to many local musicians and soon decided to go out on her own. Janet played solo acts around the Clear Lake Area for several years honing her guitar skills and broadening her experience.
During this time, her music career was fostered by the likes of Jimmy Dibello, the local music critic, and Bert Wills, a guitar legend and 6 time grammy nominee, who accommodated, encouraged and helped get playing engagements for the fledgling singer.In 1989, she led a very successful band called Janet Z. and the Pluckin’ Hombres.
Janet, along with her band, continued to cultivate new fans regionally for the next 5 years. During this time she watched attendance at her shows and interest in her songwriting grow. In 1995, Janet formed the Janet Z. Band to open for Grammy winners, Asleep at the Wheel.
Janet has recently started focusing her efforts on her songwriting and has teamed up with Bert Wills and Benny Brasket to record her premier album entitled Gruene Rain. She has played numerous venues throughout the Texas Hill Country, Austin, Houston, Clear Lake, Galveston, and Kemah. She has also done various festivals and fundraisers worthy of noteCurrently, Janet is promoting her new CD, Gruene Rain. She is receiving airplay and doing live radio broadcasts on stations such as Texas Rebel Radio in Fredricksburg, Humble Time in San Marcos, and KPFT in Houston/Galveston.
Janet has had the pleasure of playing with such notable musicians as the Sisters Morales, Bert Wills and the Cryin Shames, Dave Nevling and the Blues Cats, Luther & the Healers, The Benny Brasket Band, Thomas Michael Riley at Lukenbach, John Mooney, the late Junior Medlow and Jumpin’ Johnny Sansome from New Orleans just to name a few.
