by Keith Spera, Music writer, The Times-Picayune
Brooks died early last Thursday at Ochsner Medical Center of complications following back surgery. She was 55.
"She could bring down from up there real joy and pain, all the things that blues and gospel singers can bring," said Vernel Bagneris, the writer, director and star of "One Mo' Time." "She would call upon it, and it was there for her. Between her humor and spirituality and goodness, as far as her love of her family...she was a solid person. People that worked with her loved her." (Hear selected tracks from Juanita Brooks 
)
Ms. Brooks grew up in a musically inclined family in Mid-City and the 9th Ward; her brothers Detroit and Mark were destined to play banjo and bass, respectively. She first sang in church. After graduating from Francis T. Nicholls High School, she attended the University of New Orleans. Her early professional career included a stint in rhythm & blues pianist Eddie Bo's band.
In 1982, she joined the cast of Bagneris's "One Mo' Time" for its years-long run at the Toulouse Street Theater. As the character Ma Reed, she also toured with the show's Australian company and appeared in a film version for German television.
See more photos of Juanita Brooks here »
Her voice was "sassy and gritty and real," Bagneris said. "Her whole personality was like that. She would go with things, but in the end it was on her terms."
In 1986, she starred in "Staggerlee," a musical Bagneris wrote with Allen Toussaint that spent six months off-Broadway. Her character, Zelita, closed the first act with a solo rendition of Toussaint's "I've Been Saved By the Grace of God."
"She could have lived in New York and made her mark," Bagneris said. "But her kids and her heart" were in New Orleans.
In 1999, she portrayed the title character of "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" at Le Petit Theater. She identified with Rainey, a real-life, no-nonsense blues singer.
"Playing this character is like playing me," Ms. Brooks said at the time. "We exist in different periods of time and we like to think a lot has changed since Ma's time. But we're still dealing with the same issues, the same beast.... I can be a problem when things aren't right."
In recent years, Ms. Brooks often performed at Sweet Lorraine's, Donna's and the Palm Court Jazz Cafe, often with either Bob or George French's bands, fellow vocalists Germaine Bazzle and Sharon Martin, or keyboardist Davell Crawford. During a memorable set at Cafe Brasil for the 2006 "Nickel-a-dance" traditional jazz series, she continued to sing by candlelight after the building's power went out.
She was frequently called upon to sing on other artists' recordings. She is a backing vocalist on "I Count the Tears," a stark song from Irma Thomas' Grammy-winning 2006 CD "After the Rain."
She is featured on "Livin' the Legend," a 2000 release by Bob French's Original Tuxedo Jazz Band, and Lars Edegran's Palm Court Jazz All-stars' self-titled 2004 project. She sings on jazz-fusion band the Headhunters' 2003 reunion CD "Evolution Revolution" and wails the gospel opening of "When I Die (You Better Second-Line)," a Treme street party-style highlight of Kermit Ruffins' 2002 release "Big Easy."
Her 2007 album "More Jazz" offered her take on such standards as "Basin Street Blues," "On the Sunny Side of the Street," "What a Wonderful World" and the gospel mash-up "Down By the Riverside"/ "Ain't Gonna Study War."
The Treme Brass Band dedicated its Thursday afternoon set at Lafayette Square to Ms. Brooks' memory.
Survivors include her mother Margie Brooks, three brothers, George Brooks Jr., Mark Brooks and Detroit Brooks; two sisters, Barbara Brooks-Harris and Joyce O'Neal; and four children, Timisha Brooks, Timantha Brooks, Jabari Brooks and Awood Magic Johnson.
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