We are thrilled to present this year’s 100 Women We Love—an incredibly diverse group of out entertainers, athletes, artists, activists, business leaders and elected officials.
KJ Denhert
KJ Denhert’s bio describes her music as “difficult to classify but very easy to enjoy.” Sounds good to us. The artist, who crafts her own unique mix of urban folk and jazz, started playing guitar and writing music at 10. “I loved Sergio Mendes’ songs,” she remembers, “liked John Hartford on Glen Campbell’s show and really got into James Taylor and Joni Mitchell, who I still consider my two main influences. . . . I didn’t really do much but play guitar through my teenage years.” Coming out “was difficult and isolating” and she was even thrown out of her house, but the experience just made her stronger. In her twenties, Denhert joined an all-woman band called Fire; more recently, she’s finished an 18-month world tour, celebrated a 19-year residency at NYC´s 55 Bar with her band and released a tenth album, Destiny, that has garnered her three Independent Music Award nominations. (She also has won numerous awards for songwriting.) “I love playing, singing, writing, arranging and performing. It’s a reason to get up some days (OK, most days)! . . . Sometimes people tell me wonderful things, stories about celebrating in their own lives with songs I’ve written. That can feel pretty great.” -GH
Although she continues to define herself as an “urban folk and jazz” artist, KJ's journey has led her to explore the many genres that influenced her life and music. Her Journey continues to push the boundaries of her own definition. This archive is a chronicle of KJ's journey—her thoughts, her words, her memories and many inspirations.