Jean Bayou makes beautiful music that speaks to the heart and soul. 

Jean’s wisdom and often wry humor are wrapped in her warm alto voice and delivered with a unique rhythmic strumming/finger-picking style. Her hooks, grooves and memorable melodies are sometimes reminiscent of the late 60’s and early 70’s, with a distinctive modern current, rhythm and twist.

Although having played music since the age of 5, it was much later in life that Jean realized her passion and talent for songwriting. Through the ins and outs of raising a family, working part-time at a law firm and doing extensive volunteer work, she began taking songwriting workshops from an impressive roster of instructors and eventually began performing at open mics and songwriter showcases in the Washington, DC area around 2004. She was soon invited to play larger stages, festivals, intimate venues and house concerts and quickly became known as a top-notch songwriter by audiences and her peers, and in time, a polished and compelling performer.

Jean’s relatable and thought-provoking tales take listeners on a melodic and lyrical journey of love gone wrong, love done right, gratitude, cherishing the day, social injustice, medical procedures, warrior women, hot springs, hope springs eternal, and bad family vacations, to mention a few. Such titles as “Knocking on a Deaf Man’s Door,” “Happy as the Day I Was Born,” “Mammogram,” “We Are Revolting” and “Your Karma Suits Ya” deliver the goods as promised, with finely crafted lyrics and melodies. Jean’s songs paint pictures of real life in creative and fresh ways and her upbeat and positive energy, keen sense of humor, and depth of emotion provide inspiration to her fans and peers as she embodies the adages that anything is possible, it’s never too late to pursue your passion, and sh** happens.

Jean served as President of the Songwriters Association of Washington (DC) from 2005-2013, during which time her outstanding leadership was recognized by the membership of the Washington Area Music Association (WAMA) when she was twice honored as Executive of the Year in 2008 and 2009. She served as Director of the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest (2002-2005) and her 2010 debut album, Just About Everything, was nominated for top Contemporary Folk Album of the year by the WAMA membership.

Born and raised in the Hudson Valley in New York State, some of Jean’s early musical favorites were semi-locals such as Bob Dylan, The Band, Pete Seeger, and NRBQ, among many others. Her parents and siblings were avid music listeners and she was exposed to a wide array of musical genres from an early age, all of which have influenced her songwriting. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Arizona in the mid-70s. A self-proclaimed procrastinator, Jean has occasionally been working on a long-overdue book about her experiences and observations centered around the time she lived in Benghazi, Libya, in the late 70s.

Jean now enjoys living and playing in New Orleans where she sometimes can be found accompanying other songwriters on piano, and loves to support, improvise and jam in just about any genre. She is currently traveling throughout the U.S. and abroad, pursuing her passion of connecting with people through her uniquely original stories and music.