Versatile artist, actress, singer and songwriter Miche Braden not only starred in, but also directed numerous musicals. Her impressive resume includes star turns in Mahalia: A Gospel Musical, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, and The Devil's Music: The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith. A native of Detroit, Braden was one of the founding members of all-female jazz outfit Straigth Ahead at the end of the 1980s. She collaborated with top tier musicians such as Lionel Hampton, and sang on James Carter's Gardenias for Lady Day and At the Crossroads album.