Every so often, we take a little time on Mondays to pay tribute to the Muthas! That is, reprinting the adorable metal/maternal Q&As that run in the magazine. Today, enjoy Justin Norton’s October 2015 chat with Becky Myers, mutha of Sabbath Assembly vocalist Jamie Myers. Sabbath Assembly will tour this summer with Atriarch — dates follow after the story.
Can you tell us more about yourself?
I grew up in a small rural town in Texas. My graduating class had 13 students. I had my first born when I was 19 and Jamie when I was 24. When Jamie was in the third grade, she wanted to go as Gene Simmons for Halloween. I didn’t have much to work with but I sewed her a costume out of pieces of an emergency foil blanket and used cardboard and foil for the gauntlets.
Jamie mentioned in the past that she picked up a lot of music from her father. Were you also musical?
Hell no, unless you consider turning on the stereo being musical. Her father and I attended concerts now and then and we let the kids tag along when appropriate. Jamie fell asleep during a ZZ Top show when she was seven.
What was Jamie like as a teenager?
She got herself up and out the door for school every day. She was really no trouble except for the occasional teenage flare up. We did endure some smelly clothes, crazy haircuts and one random phone call from the police right around the time she started getting into punk rock.
What do you think of Jamie’s voice?
The first time I saw Jamie play with Hammers of Misfortune I was totally shocked. Up until that point she was mostly screeching and growling. Hammers was the first time I actually heard her sing with a band. I was blown away.
When Jamie was in her 20s she left Texas to pursue music in California. What did you think?
She had a job lined up and a place to live. She wasn’t leaving Texas blindly, so I wasn’t worried. It also gave her father and I a good excuse to take a couple of motorcycle trips.
Were you happy when she came home?
Double happy! Not only did she come home, she came home carrying my grandson.
Jamie is also a “metal mutha.” What makes her a good Mom?
When she was in labor with her son Errol she was having some difficulty and was in an immense amount of pain. The nurse offered her pain meds and she refused them, thinking it might slow the delivery or potentially harm him. From the get go, she was putting him first.
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Sabbath Assembly Summer Tour With Atriarch
July
25 – Seattle, WA – The Highline
26 – Olympia, WA – Obsidian
27 – Portland, OR – The Panic Room
28 – Sacramento, CA – Starlite
29 – Los Angeles, CA – Complex
30 – Oakland, CA – First Church Of The Buzzard