Tyrone Hendrix & the PDX Soul Collective features the leading vocalists and musicians from Portland’s R&B, funk, and soul scenes, many of whom have performed and toured with international stars. The Collective consists of founder/drummer Tyrone Hendrix; vocalists Arietta Ward, Saeeda Wright, Ronnie Wright, Tahirah Memory, Alonzo Chadwick and Danielle Barker; guitarist John “Jubu” Smith; trumpet player Farnell Newton; keyboardist Chris Turner; and bassist James “Booyah” Richard.
Northwest vocal powerhouse Arietta Ward has performed as a bandleader, and in collaborations with such artists as Esperanza Spalding, Curtis Salgado, Lloyd Jones, Nigel Hall, the late Linda Hornbuckle, and her mother, the late legendary pianist Janice Marie Scroggins.
Saeeda Wright is a Portland singer, songwriter, and vocal coach who toured with Prince, Liv Warfield, and Tim Snider, among others.
Portland vocalist Ronnie Wright has reached #1 on the UK Soul Charts multiple times with his collaborative and solo albums. His latest, Bespeak Empower, released in 2021, features some of the Northwest’s most talented vocalists and musicians in an eclectic mix of soul, funk R&B and gospel.
Soul singer/songwriter Tahirah Memory, a Portland native, has toured as a backing vocalist for KD Lang, and as a front-woman on her international tours. Memory has been nominated in 2019 by Soultracks for Best Female Vocalist, Best Album, and Best Song.
Alonzo Chadwick, one of the Northwest’s premier male vocalists, is a frequent soloist with the Oregon Symphony and has shared the stage with such renowned artists as Josh Groban, Israel Houghton, Kirk Franklin, and the late greats Linda Hornbuckle and Janice Scroggins, and more.
Musician, actress, and educator Danielle M. Barker, aka Dani B, originally from Fort Lauderdale, FL, moved to Portland in 2015. Since graduating from Portland State University with a degree in Jazz Performance, she is the lead singer of the Alberta Street Pub’s Soulful Sundays home band, the Love Train.
John “Jubu” Smith is the architect of the modern R&B guitar. His limitless vocabulary of jazz distilled through the blues, soul and gospel music, has set the standard for guitarists around the world. Smith’s early career started with Oakland R&B band Tony Toni Toné, and currently, he is the frontman of his own soul-blues band, Legally Blynd.
Having been the heartbeat for artists such as Prince and Stevie Wonder (and the Portland Cello Project, Liv Warfield…), group founder Tyrone Hendrix embodies the quintessential trifecta: drummer, composer and producer. Rounding out the collective’s core: San Francisco Bay area bassist James “Booyah” Richard, who has had a veteran of tours with such R&B stars as Jennifer Hudson, En Vogue, and Kenny Lattimore; Portland keyboard ace Chris Turner; and trumpet player, producer, educator, Farnell Newton whose resume includes tours with GRAMMY-winner Jill Scott, bassist Bootsy Collins, and the Portland Cello Project.