Joni Morris: Paying Tribute to a Legend

Thirty-nine years of age is when most of us are settled into a career. But that’s not how it went for Joni Morris. That’s the age at which she seriously pursued her love of music – and for nearly 40 years, the Stockton resident has entertained thousands around the US with her tribute to country legend Patsy Cline.

Why Patsy? “Her voice was like velvet to me,” said Joni. “She suffered a lot of personal injury in her marriages and could really make the song believable with a cry in her voice. Just amazing quality, so enjoyable to hear someone sing so convincingly, the story was real.”

If music fans aren’t completely familiar with the music of Patsy Cline, it’s likely because she died at the age of just 30 in a plane crash. She was in the process of becoming a country superstar, with huge hits like “Crazy,” “Walkin’ After Midnight,” “I Fall to Pieces” and “Sweet Dreams.” “We just didn’t get enough of her music,” said Joni. “If she had lived longer, she’d be another Willie Nelson.”

Joni Morris was born in Modesto, raised in Stockton and grew up in a household where it was common to hear country stars such as Hank Williams Sr., Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette. Many years later while her daughter was taking a piano lesson at a Stockton music school, Joni took a vocal lesson just to pass the time and was complimented by the instructor for her voice.

“Mom would ask us to sing in front of the family for gatherings, but I’d go hide and make myself unavailable,” said Joni about her childhood. Years later she had three children to raise and loved being a mom but really didn’t have a hobby just for her. The light bulb went on, and she thought she’d like to sing with a women’s vocal group. Though she insists she was shy as a child, Joni was ready for the spotlight in her late 30s. She would sing at retirement homes and veterans’ hospitals; seeing the reaction, she realized making people happy was so rewarding.

Joni jokes that performing the music of Aretha Franklin would have been her first choice, but the country tunes of Patsy Cline were a better match for her voice. And it was the right decision. Her first professional gig was portraying Cline in a play produced by the Columbia Actors Repertory, Columbia, located in Tuolumne County. That led to developing a tribute act and performing hundreds of times at Garbeau’s dinner theatre in Rancho Cordova. Soon after she took the stage and delighted music fans at the Alcazar Theatre in San Francisco. Those wonderful songs and her talent would soon be on display around the country.

Every step of that musical journey, Joni was, and still is, joined by her husband, Matt Cardinalli, who was a dentist by day but at night took on the role of equipment roadie, sound engineer and lighting technician for the tribute show.

Joni and Matt realized after staging the Cline tribute for so many years that it would be wise to expand the repertoire, so the act has grown to include music by a dozen country artists. The “Legendary Ladies of Country Music” offers songs made famous by Kitty Wells, the Carter Family, Dolly Parton, the Judds, Crystal Gayle, Alison Krauss and others. Joni is very capably accompanied by local piano player Jack Jones, who adds backup vocals as well.

At the height of their success, they performed 250 times a year. Slowing down a bit means singing country classics about 40 times per year. But slowing down doesn’t mean she and Matt are about to stop. There are too many people who still enjoy that trip down country-memory lane.

“It’s something I can give to others. I feel it’s a God-given gift and it would be a shame to waste it,” said Joni. “If He’s going to give me the ability to do this, I should. Thankfully, I’m still able to get out there and sing.”

Save the Date
Upcoming Joni Morris Performances
April 18, Black Oak Casino, Tuolumne, California
April 26, Nashville Social Club, Carson City, Nevada
June 5, Harrah’s Northern CA Casino, Ione, California
July 11, Music at the Ranch, Jackson, California

I am always looking for new and exciting gigs to showcase musicians in our community who deserve recognition. Stay tuned!
Feel free to reach out: tim@dalyvideoservices.com.