Veteran guitarist vocalist, Sonny Hess first picked up a guitar as a kid age 8, by the time she was a teenager she was picking up gigs all over and played in Portland’s top bands at the time, The Koffee Band and Margo Tufo’s Blues Sisters. From there she met the show stopping, late great, Paulette Davis. This band won Portland’s music association Crystal award for outstanding R&B act of the year. Paulette Davis gave Sonny the nickname ‘Sonny Smokin’ Hess’, they played together for four years and out of that came the CD “It’s About Damn Time”. After Paulette passed, Sonny continued their legacy as the Power Band always known for upbeat danceable R&B, a real energetic show. Sonny went on to be the first woman nominated in a male dominated field for Best Lead Guitar by the Cascade Blues Assoc, also holds a nomination for "Lifetime Achievement Award". She has played with, sung with and composed with many of the regions top artists, as well as opening for Etta James, Jr Walker and the All Stars, Average White Band and Bobby Womack. Sonny Hess is also widely known for her productions of the NW Women R&B Show, a specialty show she takes pride in producing. Her show has been seen by hundreds of thousands over the past 15 years at the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival.