Nora Jean Bruso

Nora Jean Wallace (formerly Bruso) (born June 21, 1956) is an American Chicago and electric blues singer and songwriter. She has penned over 700 songs,

Fellow blues singer, Koko Taylor once commented, "Nora Jean sounds just like I did when I was her age. She is one of the new upcoming women that's singing the real blues. I know she is going to make it." She has been nominated various times for a Blues Music Award.

Life and career Elnora Jean Wallace

Nora won the West Tallahatchie High School Talent Show for singing, and began to perform in other schools in her local area. Dawkins band, including Bruso, appeared at the Chicago Blues Festival in 1989. Bruso also participated on Kant Sheck Dees Bluze (1991), another Dawkins release, this time on Earwig Records.

In 1992, she left the music industry to raise her two sons, but almost a decade later was tempted back into a recording studio following the promptings of Billy Flynn, another member of Dawkins' backing band.

Her live appearances continued and included the King Biscuit Blues Festival, Rawa Blues Festival, Notodden Blues Festival (2005), Briggs Farm Blues Festival (2008), Cape May Jazz Festival and Pocono Blues Festival. She appeared again at the Chicago Blues Festival in 2011. In 2011, the Chicago Sun-Times noted that her collaboration with Little Bobby for the latter's album, Good Blues, "... helped push Nora Jean to her seventh Blues Music Award nomination for 'Best Traditional Female Blues Performer'."

In June 2014, she appeared with Lurrie Bell's Chicago Blues Band in Pyla-sur-Mer, France. In July 2015, she performed at the Kingston Mines club in Chicago.

Bruso is currently based in La Porte, Indiana.