Creative Q&A with longtime Valley musician LuLu Small

WASILLA — LuLu Small has played at countless venues and music festivals across the state for over 43 years.

Small is known for always wearing a bandana and her iconic and animated stage presence, and collaborated with generations of local acts during her career. She recently participated in a question and answer interview to discuss her love for music, being an entertainer, and the power of music bringing people together.

Q: How long have you been making music professionally?

“Professionally since I was 19 years old with a fake ID, dressed like Alice Cooper in Norfolk, Virginia, selling acid to sailors and singing at the Zodiac Bar in Virginia Beach… I migrated up here in 78 with my rock and roll band. So, I’ve been up here 43 years now, and the entire time I’ve been a professional musician. In this last year alone, I’ve become a professional, in-home, at-home business seamstress person because I can’t sing in the public anymore, so I might as well sew and send it to them, the singing seamstress.”

Q: You’ve taken on numerous students over the years, do you still teach music lessons?

“Yes. As a matter of fact, I’m getting ready to take on a ukulele student, and I’m going to be learning how to play it as well because it’s going to be a little easier on my hand.”

Q: What’s going on with your hand?

“This has been my career hand my whole life… I have severe arthritis… I just can’t play as long as I used to anymore. That’s why I do a lot of Facebook shows. I can limit my time.”

Q: Have you primarily been performing over Facebook live and things like that? Any live shows?

“I did a couple of Christmas ones. I did the Elvis’ birthday [show for Primrose Retirement Community]. I also did a Saint Patty’s and 420 last year, so pretty much on special occasions. I think I’m gonna maybe try something on my birthday on the 21st. That might be one of the last ones, especially if the doctor says, ‘I need to take care of this hand.’” she said while breaking into a number of cartoony voices with her signature silly persona shining through.

Q: Except for those times you want to be serious, is the silliness and the carefree way you carry yourself usually a part of your act?

“Yeah, yeah. I can’t be just a Kumbaya chick singing on a barstool, and that’s how I like to put it. I have to entertain. If I cannot entertain, I can’t be me. If I’m asking specifically and paid well to, ‘shut ... up and keep playing LuLu, here’s a hundred dollars.’ Okay, thank you my beautiful Valley friends. I shall never say a bad word again. Trust me, doggone it,” she said with a laugh.

Q: You’ve also made it a point to avoid live shows because of the pandemic right?

“I’m not willing to take that risk, period. I will perform this wedding [for one of her first guitar students married this week]. I will perform at other people’s private functions if it’s deemed safe. I’ll stay on the Facebook shows, even though it don’t pay. I can use a tip jar people, Paypal,” she said with a laugh.

Q: Do you miss performing live?

“I miss it. I miss it terribly. We all do. But, I also know it’s time— I hate to say it this way— to resign my reign. I will always be Alaska’s first lady of rock and roll... I know I’ve got more in me. I know I can still do it, but I have to take some time off.”

Q: What part of the Valley do you live in?

“I live out in Knik River Valley… I’ve been very fortunate to be where I am, who I am; and it’s all because of the people of Alaska… I hate the winters, but I love the people. I love it here and it’s been my life and home for 43 years now.”

Q: What’s some of your favorite venues to play here in the Valley and across the state?

“I’ll start right off the bat with the Fairview in Talkeetna, the Yukon Bar in Seward, all of the festivals; Talkeetna Bluegrass was my ultimate favorite… I miss the good old crazy rock and roll days at Chilkoots.”

Q: Why is bluegrass your ultimate favorite?

“It was everyone’s favorite festival. It was a 30 year run we did. It was a little family of people that worked the festival every year, and musicians that played every year… It’s hard to talk about... My brother, his artwork made it to a Talkeetna Bluegrass shirt. That’s the one that was in the obituary. That was also the year our mom died. So, that was an awesome tribute.”

Q: What year was that?

“98.”

Q: What about music appeals to you much to the point of making a career out of it?

“It’s something that soothes my soul. The first time I heard my mother play a piano, I was completely enthralled… She taught me how to play the basics. So, it’s been with me all my life. I also enjoy entertaining people, and watching the joy in their faces and getting that feedback from that. That I think is the biggest payoff right there...

Q: What do you think about the Valley’s pool of talent?

“There’s a lot of wonderful local talent out here. My absolute favorite is mister John Cook. I love John. I love his music. I love his voice. I love his attitude. I don’t get to really get to see a lot of others. The other ones are my very favorite band, Those Guys AK. I love them. If I ever need a backup band, I told them they’re my guys.”

Q: What do you think about the power of music and how it can bring people together?

“The power of music right now is how I communicate with my brother who passed away. The moment I took his ashes home… The moment I hit play on Pandora, on came the song that was his theme song, “Comfortably Numb” by Pink Floyd, followed immediately by “Wish you Were Here.” I still get chills… My brother was into my music and my career, and music period, in general. He couldn’t sing, but he appreciated it, and it touched him and it guided his life in so many ways. I really truly believe that’s how I know I feel him, when the songs come on.”

Q: What do you think of the future of the local music scene?

“Nothing will ever be the same...I do look forward to performing. I just want to get out and rock.”

For more information about LuLu Small, search for her page on Facebook.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com