Jennie Knaggs
Jennie Knaggs
Jennie Knaggs is best known as a singer, songwriter, and
multi-instrumentalist based in Detroit, Michigan. She has
performed extensively on the streets and stages of
Europe and The United States performing a wide range
of musical styles. Former projects include the Swedish
political street theatre troop, Skramselhika; pop
Americana with a cappella quartet Invisible Hands; New
Wave operas with The Atlantian Initiative based in Berlin,
and The Burning Man Opera based in San Fransisco,
California, and several traditional country groups based
in the US and abroad.

She earned her BA in Performing Arts and Community
Development from Antioch College in 2001, a degree
focused on the use of art, music and theatre as a tool for social change. Within this program she
spent three months in central and southern Appalachia studying the culture and traditional
music of the region.

From 2007 – 2008 Jennie held residence at The Bohemian National Home, a music performance
co-operative in Detroit, Michigan. There she assisted in hosting musicians from around the world
who specialize in free jazz, experimental music, and rock and roll.

Current music projects include Lac La Belle, a duo performing various styles of Americana,  
including old-time, cowboy yodeling, and western swing, alongside original tunes influenced by
the traditional American song cannon. Lac La Belle  released their first full length record in 2010
and has completed six US tours in support, and will be releasing a new record later this year.

Jennie is also guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for the original rock band, I, Crime. The four
piece have been touring the USA in support of their self-released EP, “Get The Knife” (2005),
their 7 inch single, “Dove Skin Gloves” (2009), and their full length record "Spread Like
Water/Block the Sun" (2010), recorded by Grammy nominated Collin Dupuis and released by
Woodbridge Records.

Jennie also performs as a back up vocalist and percussionist in the ten piece Nigerian pop
group, Odu Afrobeat Orchestra. Based in Detroit, the group is led by Adeboye Adegbenro of
Nigeria, former bandmate to Fela Kuti, the father of Afrobeat.

Last summer she completed a month long artist in residency program at The Art Monastery in
Labro, Italy, performing and teaching traditional American folk music, and in 2010 she performed
as a principal vocalist in Matthew Barney's upcoming film "Khu."  

She is the 2000 Hollerin' Champion of Wise County, Virginia and Letcher County, Kentucky, and
one day she will hitch back south to claim her prize.