Mary Bridget Davies

Mary Bridget Davies is an American singer, actress, and bandleader born on August 30, 1978, in the Cleveland, Ohio area. She is known for her interpretations of Janis Joplin's music and for leading her own ensemble, The Mary Bridget Davies Group, which performs at festivals and clubs worldwide. The band released an album of original songs in 2012 titled Wanna Feel Somethin.

Davies grew up in the Cleveland area, the daughter of Mary Ellen, a nurse, and Brian Davies, a musician. She graduated from Fairview High School in 1996, where she sang in the Honor Choir, performed with the school theatre troupe the Stagecrafters, and served as a vocalist with the Jazz Band. She began her performance training as a dancer, touring with dance productions as a child under the direction of Tina Landon, before expanding into singing and acting. After high school, she attended Kent State University and later transferred to Bowling Green State University, where she continued her involvement in theatre and music. During her college years she worked at The UPS Store loading package trucks to help cover expenses.

Following college, Davies began singing at blues jams in Cleveland around 2002, while also working as a dance instructor at Dance Dimensions in Ohio with Jen Naso. In 2005 she auditioned for and won the lead role in a touring production of Love, Janis, a credit that earned her a Best Moment in Theatre award from the Kansas City Pitch in 2007. She has also toured in Europe with Janis Joplin's original band, Big Brother and the Holding Company, and performed in a touring production of the musical revue It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues.

In 2012, Davies assumed the lead role in A Night with Janis Joplin on tour, remaining with the production as it moved to Off-Broadway and then to Broadway in 2013, where it ran until February 9, 2014. Her Broadway performance earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Musical as well as a Theatre World Award in 2014. She had previously received a Helen Hayes Award nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Musical in 2013 for the same role.

Davies has pursued a parallel career as a blues and rock performer. She was a finalist at the 2005 International Blues Challenge and placed second at the 2011 International Blues Challenge. In 2012 she received two Blues Blast Award nominations, for Best New Artist Debut CD and the Sean Costello Rising Star award, followed by a Blues Music Award nomination for Best New Artist Debut in 2013. She has also been recognized with a Best Vocalist Award from the Cleveland Free Times. In early 2014, she performed at SXSW and completed a four-night residency in Pasadena, California, where she was joined by Robby Krieger of The Doors, Slash, Wayne Kramer of The MC5, Dave and Phil Alvin of The Blasters, Bob Mothersbaugh of DEVO, Jesse Malin, and members of Tom Morello's Nightwatchmen and Gnarls Barkley.

Davies has studied improvisation with The Second City in Cleveland and is a member of the Something Dada Improv Group in Cleveland. She has lived and performed in Kansas City and New York City, and currently resides in Cleveland. In late 2017 she gave birth to her first child, a son.