Brenda J. Hollingsworth-Marley
Please note that Ms. Marley’s photos, and a “bio” can be downloaded from her website at:
http://www.storybirdsongstress.com
Brenda J. Hollingsworth-Marley (formerly known as Mrs. Brenda Hollingsworth-Pickett), was born in Salt
Lake City, Utah. Brenda J. H. Marley is also known as the “Story Songbird Woman” and was pinched by
the story and performance fairy at the tender age of 7 years old. As a young girl, this Story Songbird
Woman would make puppets out of socks, and she entertained herself for hours reading the white
billowy clouds in Utah on her Mother’s front porch steps. As the young story smitten girl of Utah, Brenda
began teaching her relatives stories and she played school with them creating her own songs and lesson
plans which were fun but very serious for her nieces and nephew who were sat at desks and encouraged
to listen, learn and allow her to use her imagination to weave tales about “Monkeys in the Wall”
amongst other original stories!
Ms. Marley was encouraged to read to a group of students when a fellow colleague, a librarian was
absent one day. The thought of reading to students which were about 80 students struck fear in her
heart and made her knees weak however after she read to the students successfully, she was
encouraged to try reading to students again. Ms. Marley began working with a fellow colleague at the
Main Library for the City of Albuquerque (Bernalillo County – ABC Libraries) in 1991 downstairs in the
story pit.
Our Story Songbird Woman is a vocalist and has sung with many small choral groups, and A’Capella
Choirs. While living in S.L.C., Utah, the Songbird Woman won a contest at Girls State in St. George, Utah
which paid her way to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and Miami on an all-expense paid trip to sing in an all
nation’s girl’s chorus. Brenda Marley was also very happy to have volunteered to sing at the Christmas in
the Round at the Mormon Tabernacle during the Christmas season where she was continually
developing her love affair with music. Throughout the years Ms. Marley has sung with her own band
“Lady B & the Jazzmen” “Lady B & the Jazz Vibrations” and other bands such as a former local jazz band
called the “Casualz.”
Brenda Marley has worked in Hollywood with actors: Checky Green, Cloris Leachman, and the late Bill
Bixby. Brenda is happy to have worked on several films as an extra, and she has made videos for Kaiser
Permanente and the “P Funk” artist “George Clinton.” Brenda Marley has also performed locally as an
actor in musicals and plays such as: 70 Girls 70, For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide When the
Rainbow is Enuf, Once on This Island, In the Spirit, Walk Like a Queen and she has acted in and written
her own plays and been a narrator for many shows and collaborations in the theater and dance world.
Ms. Marley has worked as a library technician for the City of Pasadena, and the City of Albuquerque for
approximately 24 years and she worked for a private Albuquerque Christian school as their head
librarian for 7 years. Brenda Marley loves libraries, museums and galleries with a passion. Brenda Marley
loves libraries so much that when on vacation, she seeks out libraries to visit and meet the staff and
check-out the ambiance and learn from each library that she feels blessed to visit.
Brenda J. Hollingsworth-Marley is not only a librarian, but she recently began teaching grades k-3 at a
local Albuquerque charter school where she teaches 6 subjects while pursuing her Master’s in Education
with teacher exams to come! Ms. Marley is in her second semester of her education program. Brenda
Marley received her Bachelor’s of Science degree from Wayland Baptist University.
Brenda Marley is a singer, actress, storyteller, puppeteer, dancer, drummer, poet, public speaker,
workshop facilitator, drama/vocal/storytelling coach, martial artists (black belt), songwriter, and writer,
playwright, published poet and vegetarian chef!
The New Mexico Humanities Council provides quality programs throughout the state of New Mexico and
Ms. Marley has represented the council as a storyteller and chautauquan for more than 12 years now.
The personalities she has portrayed are the late: Marian Anderson, Lena Horne, Coretta Scott-King, Rosa
Parks, and she has just been accepted to present the life of Billie Holiday.
Ms. Marley has traveled more than 350 thousand miles using several automobiles and feels like a well
seasoned traveler on the highways and byways of New Mexico. Some of the venues that Ms. Marley has
performed at include: The New Mexico State Fair, The Grand Canyon, The Martin Luther King
Commission of Roswell and Clovis, the National Council of Negro Women, The NAACP, the Albuquerque
Folk Festival, the Department of Children Youth & Families (CYFD), Heart Gallery (encouraging
(encouraging adoption in New Mexico), Wesst Corps, the South Broadway Cultural Center, National Hispanic Cultural Center for two History Days sponsored by the New Mexico Humanities Council, The State Capitol in the rotunda for the state legislature, the Storytellers of New Mexico, and Tellebration, the New Mexico Library Association and mini conference and countless other venues presenting to thousands of youth and communities!
To book Ms. Marley please contact her at: b[email protected] or [email protected] or phone her at: (505) 307-3328