Photo by Virgil Bartram.

When you first see Gina DeLuca, you immediately notice her fiery red curls and brilliant blue eyes–equal parts playful and mysterious. Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, her love for music was evident by the age of three when she would listen to The Beatles on her Barbie record player and sing into the handle of a vacuum cleaner. Even with this budding love of performing, the idea of making music her living didn’t come about until much later.

After sitting in with a local band, the love of singing in front of an audience became a passion. As a solo vocalist, DeLuca found her opportunities limited to performing with duos or groups. Taking matters into her own hands, she picked up the guitar. Six months, forty songs, and a lot of determination later, she was not only playing the guitar with confidence but also landed a weekly solo gig at Leadbetter’s Tavern in Fell’s Point, MD, where she continued to play every Friday for the next eight years.

With a steady gig and an ever-growing fan base, DeLuca has developed quite an eclectic repertoire. While the majority of her set lists are cover tunes, she brings a warmth and soulfulness to each song that makes them, in some ways, her very own. Her original song, “Nothin’ In Your House” was covered by Saffire–The Uppity Blueswomen. Gina’s current band ensemble is called The MobCats.

Influences include Nina Simone, Annie Lennox, Brian Setzer, Ray Charles, Eva Cassidy, Susan Tedeschi, Aretha Franklin, Joss Stone, and Saffire–The Uppity Blueswomen. Her natural style and deep understanding of the blues are evident in every song as DeLuca bares her soul for all to witness. Red truly is the color of love, passion, and power!

DeLuca has released three CDs to date: “Better Than Chocolate” ( 2019), “Blue Eyed Soul” (2009), and “Angel with Dirty Wings” (2006).

Feature photo by Mark Zimin, Doctor Ivan GraphiX