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Petrella Ann Bonner (born April 15, 1947) is an American country music singer, songwriter, music producer and actor. She universally is known as "The First Lady of Country Soul" and is recognized as a barrier-breaking artist in country music, as she was one of the first black female artists in the genre.
Petrella, 74, has released eight studio albums. Her most recent offering – the critically acclaimed Songs of Many Colors - was released July 1.
Several of Petrella’s songs have appeared on the Top 100 Country Singles charts. She was named “Songwriter of the Year” in 1994 by the Tennessee Songwriters Association International.
Bonner was born in Hot Springs, AR. According to Wikipedia, she first started singing in her grandmother's and aunt's church and began her formal training under celebrated musician and choir director John Puckett at Goldstein Elementary School. While attending predominantly black Langston High School, she was a member of the school choir.
She continued her education at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, MO, before transferring to Philander Smith College in Little Rock, AR, where she was a member of the Philander Smith Collegiate Choir under the direction of Carl Harris Jr., the website reported.
Petrella has opened for headliners such as The Spinners, Billy Vera and the Beaters, The Delfonics and Gladys Knight. Her first single was Blues Stay Away From Me, written by legendary trumpet player, songwriter, arranger and producer Henry Glover, who’s also from Hot Springs. I Found Somebody was her highest-charting single and was written by Glen Frey of the Eagles.
In 2016, Petrella was listed in Essence magazine as one of the “18 Black Country Singers You Need to Know.”
In addition to her musical prowess, Petrella is known for her philanthropy. For example, in 1996, she created Dreams of the Heartland Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that utilized the proceeds from her album sales to the Garland County Literacy Council, the Lupus Foundation of America, Charitable Christian Medical Clinics, Habitat for Humanity and Court Appointed Special Advocates, Wikipedia reported. Her foundation also provided scholarships to music majors or full-time members of the college choir at Philander Smith College, her alma mater.
Petrllea Bonner’s memorabilia, donated to the Arkansas History Commission, is on display at the Mosaic Templars Museum in Little Rock. It also on file at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, TN. In addition, her accomplishments have been documented by the University of Indiana African American Archive of Music and Culture and by the History Makers in Chicago, according to Wikipedia.
Bonner was married in 1976 to Bob Pollefeyt. She has two children, Nedra and April (deceased), and five grandchildren. She had one great grandson, Braiden, who died at the age of 3 and has one great granddaughter, Kyla.
Petrella and her husband currently reside in California.
