Q. Where’s the coolest venue you have had a chance to perform at and what was the experience like? 

When I moved from Boulder to Denver when I was 30, I friended the most popular Denver band at the time “Opie Gone Bad.” I dated the drummer and began assembling my first band. I met great players and met good friends. I was able to open for Opie Gone Bad at Red Rocks, and yes, it was the most amazing experience of my entire career.

Q.  ​What is your main goal in your music career? 

I am 51 years old. I have four kids who range in age from 7 to 15. I have done 15 albums and two documentaries. I have been lucky enough to share the stage with musical greats as well as blossoming students. I organize community events and bring people together. I have new songs to record. I have a store that has Wendy Woo T-shirts, albums, shot glasses and beer tasters. I have had a second beer named for me, and lines of wine and bourbon. I teach guitar. I take cello lessons. I have five songs on the shelf for a new album that I will work on come fall. I make my own videos. I hope to get to have little more time this winter to complete my newest project, complete new videos and help my kids get through school in a post-pandemic world.

Q. What made you decide to pursue a career in entertainment?

I wasn’t good at anything else. I had no interest in school. I have not been able to keep a job. I’m difficult to work with because of my outrageous personality, and sometimes I rub people the wrong way. I did not choose music. Music chose me. Before the pandemic, I felt the gigs were not as available and that perhaps they were getting sick of me playing on the scene for the 25 years I had been doing it.

I went to EMT school because I love people and I thought it would be a good job where I wasn’t being micro-managed, and a job where I had some freedom to think for myself. After I graduated, I couldn’t find an EMT job. No one was hiring anyone without at least two years experience. So I went back to bartending and waiting tables. I struggled being in the server industry. When people had me serving them their food they would get so excited that Wendy Woo was their waitress. I always spent lots of time talking with them and I would always get in trouble for being too friendly. Although I burned many bridges with the local restaurants in Loveland, I did gain an entire new fan base based off of the people that I waited on in my waitressing career.

I believe my gig at CJ’s last night was entirely people I had met when I was waiting tables. I lost my job at the Pour House on March 16, 2020, when everything shut down.

After that, they were hiring all sorts of EMTs. I was immediately hired. I worked as an EMT in Fort Collins, Loveland, Denver, Aurora and Colorado Springs during the pandemic. It was a wonderful experience. As things started opening up again, all of a sudden there were more gigs to be played than there were days in the year. I got a house gig at Betta Gumbo every Tuesday night, and I have been doing that for almost two years now. I play every single day. The pay is better and the tips are generous. I can hang out and talk to my fans and friends for as long as I want because I am my own boss. It is amazing to run one’s own business and be one’s own boss. I try to manage my band mates and buyers with kindness, sincerity and understanding.

Now, I have more musicians than I can manage wanting to play in my band. I love being a small business owner, and with that, I try to treat everyone around me with love and respect.