Since the days of swanky supper clubs and night lounge performances in the 60s, Jean Holden has been singing.

Her performances have included opening for Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Frank Sinatra Jr and Count Basie.

She grew up in the South during segregation.

She was a working mom before the term working mom or super mom existed.

Gene Holden now shares insight into her world over the decades, and we also get to spend time with her daughter, Lisa Holden, who's been her business partner and keyboard player for the last 20 years.

So let's head to Lucille's Jazz Club at toll House in Toledo, Ohio, to hear more.

Jean Holden, 60 years in the music industry.

Tell us, in a word, what it's been like for you.

Jean Holden: It's been magnificent.

Sometimes have been down, sometimes been up.

Kristi: You have the voice of an angel.

I have seen you perform.

You perform for thousands and thousands of people through six decades.

How did you first get into the music industry?

Take us back.

Jean Holden: Well, I started when I was 13 singing in Shreveport, Louisiana, and studying, and my vocal instructors pushed me into opera, and it wasn't something I really wanted to do, but throughout the years it has certainly helped because I use all of those there, all of that.

Those trainings to what I do now.

Kristi: Now, as you look back at your life, gene, before the civil rights in the segregated part of the country, Louisiana, tell us more about that chapter in your life.

Well.

Jean Holden: I love country music.

And in Shreveport, Louisiana, there was a show, a place called the Municipal Auditorium, where they had the Louisiana Hayride every Saturday night, and it was broadcast.

So I'm here with the glued to the radio, and I would hear Patti Page, I would hear Patsy Cline singing crazy.

And I would think, oh, I would love to go to the Municipal Auditorium, but being a little black girl in Shreveport, Louisiana, I was not allowed to do that.

One of the things that I experienced in Shreveport, Louisiana, and this was prior to, Rosa Parks sitting on the bus that we had trolleys in in Shreveport, Louisiana, the trolleys that ran with them all on a wire.

And we had the colored section from the back to the first two seats.

Well, I got on the trolley and it was filled with black folks and up to the last colored seat colored.

I sat there and every other seat was full.

This white gentleman got on the trolley seat and his the white section was filled also, and he didn't have any place to sit.

And the driver looks up in his mirror and he could see me, and he says, and I looked up and said, But I'm in the colored section, and he says, I don't care, girl, get up or get off.

and even to this day at 84 years old, I want to I want to tear up, too, of how I felt, how demeaning that was, how I felt to get up out of that seat.

People say that this there is no racism, but there has been.

We've come a long way.

But I don't forget, I haven't forgotten, I haven't forgotten that I don't hold it against anyone either.

Kristi: But you can't forget.

Jean Holden: I can't forget.

Kristi: You know, you call yourself a song stylist and you've been doing this, as I said, for six decades.

What is the secret to your longevity and being in this business, as long as you've been and continuing to entertain and really be a part of people's lives?

Jean Holden: Well, I think the main thing is taking care of my voice.

that that to me, is the most important thing.

Kristi: How do you do that?

Jean Holden: from the training that I had to is to.

This is precious.

It's an instrument.

You cannot get a new voice for.

Kristi: You and your daughter.

Lisa, who plays keyboard, is a wonderful pianist.

She is.

You two together are amazing.

Oh, we are here.

You are the best of teams.

Jean Holden: I dare.

Kristi: Tell it.

Tell us more.

Let's kind of talk a little bit about that in terms of how those performances work.

We're going to be talking to Lisa really soon too.

Okay.

but how, how do you decide the songs, and is there a particular song that the two of you like to perform together?

Jean Holden: She'll write a list.

She said, mom, what about this song?

What about?

And she knows that I like the old songs, I like, I like the theatrical type songs.

She's precious.

We we we work so well together.

What a blessing.

Kristi: Let's talk to Lisa.

Okay?

Okay.

Kristi: All right.

Thank you so much to let you all.

Jean Holden: Thank you so much.

Okay.

I can't give you anything but love, baby.

That's the only thing.

And I've got plenty of baby dreams.

While scheming.

While you're sure to find happiness.

And I guess all the.

Things you've always pined for.

Gee, it's good to see you looking swell, baby.

Diamond bracelets, Woolworth's, doesn't sell baby till that lucky day.

Kristi: Lisa Holden, so great to be with you today.

Lisa Holden: Great to be with you, Kristi.

Kristi: Thanks for having me.

Absolutely.

I have enjoyed so many shows with you and your mom, and you two have been performing together for, what, 20 years now?

Lisa Holden: So yes, I would say I probably have been playing piano well for many years, but probably primarily my mom's piano player for the past 2025 years.

Kristi: The business of music and the music industry has really changed through the years.

So talk to us a little bit about how the business works now in terms of booking gigs and finding band mates for your mom's concerts and performances, what the venues are like these days?

Lisa Holden: Well, I like to think about the music business, the type of music that my mom has been in for years, the supper club days, are pretty much gone, and opportunities to perform in her genre of music are not what they used to be.

And fortunately, my mom's at a point in her career too, where she's kind of semi-retired.

But years ago we used to do, you know, weddings and all types of events like that, and you'd have to pull a band together.

We never had like a solid set of musicians, but it'd be like, can we get a bass player for this gig or that gig?

And that's still that part is pretty much how it still works today.

Kristi: Other details that tied to the business of music in terms of what has changed over the years, what are some of those things?

Lisa Holden: I think about the supper club days when people used to, get dressed up and go out for dinner and drinks and get a babysitter, and now it's a lot of sports bars and people take the kids to the sports bars.

And so the, the atmosphere, the, the venues for this type of music is not what it used to be, but my mom draws, even at her age, young people to her audience, you know.

Kristi: So she still remains Lisa Holden: Relevant.

Kristi: Yes, yes.

So for six decades.

Lisa Holden: Exactly.

And she still has, you know, voice students that she sees.

And so it's just really an honor.

Kristi: Yes.

Well, it is so great to be with you today, to be with you, mother Gene.

Lisa Holden: Thank you very much.

Kristi: Yeah.

So we're looking forward to maybe getting some up close and personal lifestyle kinds of conversations coming up.

Lisa Holden: That'll be fun.

Thank you so much, Christine.

Kristi: Thank you.

Lisa.

Hugh.

Real pleasure.

Lisa Holden: Thanks.

Kristi: And we're going to hear more from Gene and Lisa Holden later on.

My conversations with them inspired me to find out more about what goes into recording Award-Winning Music and who better than my next guest?