MONA

Mona Smith-Stocklin is a R&B soul singer out of Southern California. A native of Farmington, New Mexico, Mona grew up in the Inland Empire in Southern California. Mona was singing before she could talk. She grew up under the roof of her parents  listening to various genres of music, from Blues, Country, rock  to R&B (aka Ruth Butler for those who don't know where  R&B came from.) She would spend her days listening mostly to albums because there were no black radio stations at the time. Listening to the white radio stations however, caused her to develop a love for country and contemporary music. Her parents owned a collection of  hundreds of 45 records and albums, even comedy albums. Mona would be listening to comedians such as Red Fox, and Richard Prayer when she was supposed to be watching cartoons in the back room. 

Mona’s parents would have parties twice a month and would play every song in their record collection; the children weren't allowed to join in but they could hear every song. Mona’s favorite time to listen to music was on Saturdays and Sundays when her mother would clean the house from top to bottom. Mona would hear her mother play records by Gladys Knight and the Pips, Al Green, Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Bobby Blue Bland, BB King and  Johnnie Taylor just to name a few. She loved hearing songs such as, “Down Home Blues”,  “The Thrill is Gone”, “Midnight Train to Georgia”, “I'm so tired of being alone”, “Let's get married” and “Love and Happiness” Mona had a fondness for Al Green to the point where she would find herself mimicking him the most out of all the other artists in the collection. Not realizing that was training her voice and developing her own style of singing, Mona, over time began writing songs of her own.

Mona inherited her love for music from her father Joseph Lewis Smith who was a recording artist that sang background for many singing groups such as ZZ Hill, BB King, Bobby Blue Band, Luther Ingram and Little Milton all through her childhood. Mona saw that Singing came naturally to her father and she loved listening to him sing. There was a rich tone to his voice that connected with young Mona’s soul that inspired her to sing. 

Mona had a troubled childhood and singing became a hiding place and refuge for her to express her feelings. It was through singing that she was able to fantasize about living in different places in the world but not always in the world. She could travel in her heart and soul through music and eventually her mind would follow. Music is a Safe Haven and outlet for Mona to this day and many have been blessed by the heartfelt songs she has written over the years. 

“Through music, I can be anybody when I don't wanna be me.”

~Mona Smith-Stocklin~