An internationally touring fiery R&B and blues singer whose music encompasses both contemporary blues and Southern soul, Nellie Tiger Travis was born in the early '60s in Mound Bayou, Mississippi. Travis was primarily raised by her grandmother, who was a minister and sang in the church. She was a regular attraction on the Chicago blues circuit, she shared stages with some of the biggest artists on the scene (including Buddy Guy, Bobby Rush, Otis Clay, and Little Milton), and she was named "Entertainer of the Year" in a reader's poll by the Chicago weekly newspaper New City.

In 2000, Travis released her debut album, I Got It Like That, through her Tiger Belle label; the same year, she recorded a collaborative album with Japanese guitarist Shun Kikuta, Heart and Soul. As Southern soul became a larger part of Travis' repertoire, she released 2005's Wanna Be with You, which fused Chicago blues influences with contemporary soul tropes. 2008's I'm a Woman featured a radio hit in the song "Slap Yo' Weave Off," which gained a loyal following in the South.  In 2013, Travis scored another Southern soul hit with "Mr. Sexy Man," which inspired a line dance popular in Southern soul venues. By this time, Travis was an established star in the blues community, performing regularly in Japan and Europe as well as the United States. 2014 saw the release of the collection Nellie Sings the Blues.