In the spirit of celebrating those who embody the phrase “The Body I Was Born To Be In” I am spotlighting one person a day, until the single is officially released, who represent, to me, someone living as their most honest and true self. And killing it in the meantime!!

Today I choose Diva Joan Cartwright. If you want to put it simply, Joan is a brilliant jazz singer who has performed with many of the greats. But there’s nothing simple about her, as she is so much more thanthat. Joan is a fervent advocate for women in music. She has spearheaded such organizations as Women in Jazz South Florida, Inc., has a podcast featuring women in music, and puts out a monthly newsletter promoting the gigs/releases/events of the members of WIJSF. I first met Joan when I worked at Laffing Matterz in Fort Lauderdale. She sang at the piano and I was in awe. She then complimented me on my singing and encouraged me to keep it up. Not long after, she showed up at one of my gigs at Blue Jean Blues. I was so humbled and grateful that she chose to come see me perform. Whether she even knew it or not, those interactions gave me the boost in confidence I needed to take the plunge and start Long Lost Friend, with drummer, Walt Brewer. Several years later Joan graciously had me as a guest on her podcast to talk about The Journey: A New Indie Musical, the musical created from the music of Long Lost Friend and my other compositions, when we were mounting our first concert production with Outre Theatre Company in Boca Raton, and in those 30 minutes she promoted the show, encouraged me and my efforts in music and theatre and educated me on some other facets of the business that I’d been lacking in. Joan Cartwright’s voice is a powerful one. She knows who she is, she owns who she is, she thrives in who she is, and she empowers others through who she is. And, I, for one, am honored to know her.