Mary Culpepper was born to sing. At the tender age of nine, she began singing at school functions and talent shows from elementary school through high school. She was shy but knew she had a niche for the stage because she belonged to a long line of vocalists in her family.

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Her grandmother was in a group called the Cookies, which later became the infamous Raylettes, the background singers for Ray Charles. Mary was born in Brooklyn, New York but later moved to Alabama as her father joined the military. At the age of twenty-two, Mary joined a local band and that began to open a whole new world for her. Mary ignites the stage with her powerhouse voice.

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​In the early 1990’s, along with another female, she formed a girl duo that sang background for such artists as blues singer Jessie James, Bobby Rush, and Theodis Ealey. She performs with several top bands in the live music circuit as the lead vocalist. Mary loves rhythm & blues and southern soul but can adapt to any genre of music. She is known these days as the SongBd and her melodious voice captures the attention of all her audiences.