Karen was born on Chicago's south side, the second of eleven kids. Her roots are planted in blues and soul. She was set afire by Sarah Vaughan, The Indigo Girls, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, Brandi Carlile, and Cyndi Lauper.
She spent time working as a kids music teacher at the famed Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, collaborated on various recording projects, and variety shows, commercial spots for radio and has fond memories of starting it all on a kids music variety television show on what was WCFC Chicago.
Karen plays heart opening original songs and hundreds of cover songs from Johnny Cash to Bob Marley, Dolly Parton to The Beatles... all The Feel Good Songs.