Samantha Fish, born on January 30, 1989, in Kansas City, Missouri, is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.
She has released nine solo studio albums and earned two Grammy nominations for Best Contemporary Blues Album.
Her 2025 album Paper Doll debuted at number two on the Billboard Blues chart and earned her second Grammy nod.
Who is Samantha Fish?
Samantha Fish is an American blues-rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter from Kansas City, Missouri.
While critics and fans often label her a blues artist, her music crosses into rock, country, funk, Americana, and soul with equal ease.
Her elder sister, Amanda Fish, is also a singer-songwriter who records for VizzTone Records, making music a family pursuit for the Fish household.
Fish built her following through relentless touring, reportedly playing more than 250 shows annually.
That work ethic helped her grow from a teenage sit-in player at a local Kansas City club to a headliner at festivals across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe.
Her recording catalog spans labels including Ruf Records and Rounder Records, with nine solo studio albums released between 2011 and 2025.
Each record pushed her style further, from raw blues-rock to polished Americana and garage-influenced soul.
Early Life of Samantha Fish
Samantha Fish grew up in the Kansas City area in a household shaped by music. Her mother served as an instructor in a local church choir, and her father played guitar at home with friends. That everyday exposure to music lit an early spark.
She started out playing drums as a child, but switched her focus to guitar at age 15 after hearing recordings of Bonnie Raitt and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Those artists opened a door, and she soon absorbed everything from Tom Petty to the Rolling Stones. She has specifically cited the Stones’ album Sticky Fingers as a formative early influence.
As a teenager, she would visit the Knuckleheads Saloon, a legendary Kansas City blues club, to hear touring musicians perform.
After she turned 18, she began sitting in with whoever happened to be playing there that night. That experience gave her a rapid, real-world musical education.
Samantha Fish Age
Samantha Fish is 37 years old as of 2026, born on January 30, 1989. Her zodiac sign is Aquarius.
By the time she released her debut album in 2009, she had already spent several years gigging at the Knuckleheads Saloon and developing her guitar style in live settings.
Samantha Fish Ethnicity and Nationality
Samantha Fish is American by nationality, born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. Her background is rooted in the American heartland, in a city with a deep blues and jazz heritage that shaped her musical direction.
Her family’s love of classic rock, gospel, and blues provided the cultural foundation for her career.
Samantha Fish Height and Weight
Samantha Fish stands at approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall, which equals around 1.70 meters. Her weight is reported at approximately 56 kg (123 lbs), though this figure is not formally confirmed.
Her physical presence on stage is frequently described by reviewers as commanding, fueled by an energetic playing style that keeps her constantly moving throughout her performances.
Samantha Fish Musical Style and Influences
Samantha Fish draws from a wide pool of influences that span blues, rock, soul, and country.
Her earliest guitar heroes include Bonnie Raitt and Stevie Ray Vaughan, both of whom inspired her switch from drums to guitar at 15.
She has also cited Tom Petty, the Rolling Stones, Freddie King, and Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath as influences on her guitar work and stage energy.
Her sound shifts naturally between raw Mississippi Hill Country blues, garage-infused rock, and country-tinged ballads depending on the album.
That range has made her difficult to box into a single category, which she has consistently embraced rather than avoided.
She performed alongside blues legend Buddy Guy in 2013, and has shared stages with artists including Jimmy Hall and Devon Allman throughout her career.
Samantha Fish Education
Samantha Fish’s primary musical education came from the live music scene in Kansas City rather than formal institutions.
Her training ground was the Knuckleheads Saloon, where she spent her teens watching touring blues musicians perform.
After she turned 18 and started sitting in with those performers, she gained practical experience across different blues styles.
Her mentor during her early recording years was guitarist and producer Mike Zito, who produced her debut solo album Runaway in 2011 and helped shape her early sound.
Samantha Fish Career
Samantha Fish’s career began in 2009 and has spanned nearly two decades of recording and touring.
She started by self-releasing a live album, moved to Ruf Records, and later signed with Rounder Records.
Her output includes nine solo albums, one collaborative record, and an active touring schedule that has taken her to major stages worldwide.
She made her Kelly Clarkson Show national television debut around the time of her Death Wish Blues release, marking a mainstream breakthrough after years of building her audience through live shows and blues circuit success.
Early Career: Live Bait, Girls with Guitars, and Runaway
In 2009, Fish recorded and released Live Bait as the Samantha Fish Blues Band. The self-produced live album caught the attention of Ruf Records, the German blues label, which signed her shortly afterward.
Ruf Records featured her alongside Cassie Taylor and Dani Wilde on the 2011 compilation Girls with Guitars, which included covers of Rolling Stones and Steve Miller Band songs.
The three artists then toured together as part of the Ruf Records Blues Caravan across the United States and Europe.
Later in 2011, Fish released her solo debut album Runaway, produced by her mentor Mike Zito. The record won the 2012 Blues Music Award for Best New Artist, marking her first major industry recognition.
She continued touring as the Samantha Fish Band, with “Go-Go Ray” Pollard on drums and Chris Alexander on bass.
Breakthrough: Wild at Heart and Belle of the West
Fish’s sophomore album Black Wind Howlin’ arrived in 2013, with Mike Zito on guitar and Yonrico Scott on drums.
It reached the Top Ten of the Billboard blues albums chart and hit the Billboard Heatseekers chart, giving her first significant commercial exposure.
That same year, she appeared on Devon Allman’s album Turquoise in a duet covering the Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks song “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.”
Her third studio album, Wild at Heart, released in June 2015 on Ruf Records, reached number one on the blues albums chart.
Luther Dickinson of the Black Crowes and the North Mississippi Allstars produced the record at Blade Studios in Shreveport, Louisiana, with additional sessions at Ardent Studios and Royal Recording Studios in Memphis.
In 2017, Fish released two albums. Chills and Fever, recorded in Detroit with producer Bobby Harlow and members of the Detroit Cobras, featured covers of obscure pop and soul tracks.
Belle of the West, also released that year and produced by Luther Dickinson in Missouri, went even further into Americana territory, featuring contributions from harmonica player Lightnin’ Malcolm, multi-instrumentalist Jimbo Mathus, and violinist Lillie Mae Rische.
Belle of the West topped the blues albums chart and earned Fish the Blues Music Association award for Contemporary Female Artist of the Year in 2018.
Recent Work: Rounder Records and Death Wish Blues
Fish signed with Rounder Records in late 2018, and her Rounder debut Kill or Be Kind arrived in 2019.
Grammy-winning producer Scott Billington recorded it in Memphis at the Royal Studios and in New Orleans.
In 2021, Rounder released Faster, her seventh solo album, which featured members of the Vandals and the Last Bandoleros. It also reached number one on the Billboard blues chart.
In 2023, Fish collaborated with Texas rockabilly artist Jesse Dayton on Death Wish Blues, produced by Jon Spencer of Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.
The album earned a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album at the 2024 Grammy Awards.
The two artists toured extensively together in support of the record across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe.
Her ninth solo album, Paper Doll, arrived on April 25, 2025, via Rounder Records on Concord. Producer Bobby Harlow recorded it with Fish’s road band for the first time.
The album debuted at number two on the Billboard Blues chart and earned Fish a second Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album at the 2026 Grammy Awards.
Fish followed it with Paper Doll Live, recorded October 7, 2025, at the Bijou Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee, with the McCrary Sisters on backing vocals. That live record arrived June 12, 2026.
Samantha Fish Discography
- Live Bait (2009, as Samantha Fish Blues Band)
- Girls with Guitars (2011, Ruf Records, with Cassie Taylor and Dani Wilde)
- Runaway (2011, Ruf Records)
- Black Wind Howlin’ (2013, Ruf Records)
- Wild at Heart (2015, Ruf Records)
- Chills and Fever (2017, Ruf Records)
- Belle of the West (2017, Ruf Records)
- Kill or Be Kind (2019, Rounder Records)
- Faster (2021, Rounder Records)
- Death Wish Blues (2023, Rounder Records, with Jesse Dayton)
- Paper Doll (2025, Rounder Records/Concord)
- Paper Doll Live (2026, Rounder Records)
Samantha Fish Awards and Recognition
Fish’s debut album Runaway won the Blues Music Award for Best New Artist in 2012, the first of several awards from the Blues Music Association.
In 2018, Belle of the West earned her the Blues Music Association’s Contemporary Female Artist of the Year award.
Her collaboration with Jesse Dayton, Death Wish Blues, earned a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album at the 2024 Grammy Awards.
Paper Doll followed with a second nomination in the same category at the 2026 Grammy Awards. Blues Rock Review named Paper Doll the number one album of 2025.
Fish has also received nominations in the Blues Music Awards’ Instrumentalist (Guitar) category, reflecting recognition from the blues community for both her songwriting and guitar technique.
Samantha Fish Tours and Concerts
Samantha Fish tours extensively, with reports citing more than 250 shows per year throughout her career.
She has performed at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Sweden Rock Festival, and major blues festivals across Europe and the United States.
She toured the United States and Europe in support of Death Wish Blues alongside Jesse Dayton in 2023 and early 2024.
Her Paper Doll World Tour in 2025 featured the Texas Headhunters, a project bringing together Jesse Dayton, Ian Moore, and Johnny Moeller.
Fish also joined the Experience Hendrix Tour in 2025, a touring tribute to Jimi Hendrix that regularly features prominent guitarists.
Samantha Fish Net Worth
Samantha Fish’s estimated net worth is $3 million as of 2026. Her income comes from album sales and streaming royalties across her nine solo studio albums, live performance fees from her heavy touring schedule, and merchandise.
Her record deals with Ruf Records and later Rounder Records and Concord have provided consistent commercial infrastructure for her career.
Touring revenue forms a large part of her earnings given her schedule of over 250 shows per year.
Samantha Fish Social Media
Samantha Fish maintains active profiles across major platforms. Her official Instagram account is under Samantha Fish Music, where she shares concert photos, new release announcements, and behind-the-scenes content.
She is also active on Facebook as Samantha Fish Music and runs a YouTube channel where she posts music videos, live performance footage, and interview clips.
Her official website serves as her primary hub for tour dates, merchandise, and music updates.
The Bottom Line
Samantha Fish earned her second Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album in 2026 for Paper Doll, her ninth studio album released on Rounder Records and Concord in April 2025.
The record debuted at number two on the Billboard Blues chart and was named the number one album of 2025 by Blues Rock Review.
She grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, where she first played drums before switching to guitar at 15 after hearing Bonnie Raitt and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Her sister Amanda Fish is also a singer-songwriter, recording for VizzTone Records.
Paper Doll Live, recorded at the Bijou Theatre in Knoxville with the McCrary Sisters, arrived June 12, 2026, as her most recent release.
Her Paper Doll World Tour continues across North America and Europe through 2026.
We hope you enjoyed reading about Samantha Fish. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!