Sonja Martinez has been performing in the Oklahoma City area for many years. She began lip syncing with the best female impersonators Oklahoma City has to offer. After performing at Night Life, she would spend time at Tony's Club on North Western and was mesmerized by Tony Sinclair. Tony befriended her and encouraged her to perform there with the other female impersonators. She was blessed with the opportunity to have performed with some true legends of the Oklahoma City community, some of which are no longer with us. Having come from a family rich with musical talent, Sonja decided to explore her ability to really sing. So, after lip syncing for six years, she sought out the help of Deb Roberts to develop her ability to sing live. Through Deb's coaching, Sonja found her voice. In 1984, Sonja became the first Ms. Oklahoma "The Lady for '84" in a talent contest for 'real women' who would compete in talent, interview and attire at The Free Spirit. Sonja began her own work to help support AIDS charities in 1991 after losing some very dear friends to the horrific ravages of AIDS. The idea was based on a friend's concept when Jackie and Barbara Cooper had lost a son to AIDS and were putting together the Red Tie, Sonja decided to work on a smaller scale that would target the Gay community in a Gay venue. At that time she began a small dinner show at Gushers Restaurant and had local singers perform with her. That Benefit continues today with the continued support of The Copa and the Copa Staff, flowers donated through Rick Moses' efforts and the entertainers that dedicate their time and talents. Her dear friend, Mr. John Beebe, Mr. Gay America 1996, has been the most consistent performer. It has raised over $50,000 which has been donated to Loaves and Fishes with the venue of a dinner show and entertainment. Sonja has had the opportunity to perform in many venues. She performed at Makers in Bricktown for a period of time with Rich Klessig at piano. She has performed at Military Balls in McAlester and Oklahoma City to honor our Veterans and performs occasionally at The Grand House on Classen Blvd. with a Jazz Band, to name a very few. Sonja has a regular show the first Friday of each month at Partners Club in Oklahoma City. In addition to performing herself, Sonja works to showcase other talent from the Oklahoma community, including live singers and female impersonators. In 1996, Sonja received recognition from Loaves and Fishes for her support and in 2004 she was designated Volunteer of the Year by the Board of Directors of the Catholic Charities. Sonja has been very fortunate to always have the support of her family. Her mother and father, Anita and Jesse Martinez, founded and ran the Senior Citizens Center for Salvation Army for the Hispanic Community, La Puera De Oro (The Golden Door), for many years. They had a band of seniors caled Los Vietos (which means The Old Ones), that performed traditional Mexican music around the community and as far away as Washington D.C. at The Smithsonian Institute. Sonja's sister, Bernadette Martinez, is an internationally renowned visual artist. She has shown at the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, California; The Millicent Rogers Museum in Taos, New Mexico; The Center for the Fine Arts in Miami, Florida; The Mexican Cultural Institute in San Antonio, Texas; The Southwest Museum in Los Angeles, California; and The Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities in Arvada, Colorado. Check out the link to Bernadette's art at the bottom of this page. Sonja was brought up listening to the music of her parents. The influences of the 'Big Band' era, Patsy Cline, Nancy Wilson, and George Sherian, were her early introduction into music and still remain some of he favorites today. She particularly likes the 50's and 60's music and performs it often. But whether it's 'Scotch and Soda' or Melissa Etheridge's 'I'm The Only One', Sonja has a variety that spans the decades. Links: The Art of Bernadette Martinez Partners Club Sonja & Friends
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