About the Artist

Margaret Murphy-Webb is a musician and arts agitator. A graduate of Chicago State University with a degree in music performance, this award-winning vocalist has been showcasing her talent nationally and internationally for over 30 years. Margaret has performed for Presidents Obama and Clinton, has been featured at jazz and blues festivals throughout the country and performed at countless popular music venues. Currently featured as vocalist for Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre, she tours the continental United States, pairing her signature vocal style with the art of dance. In 2015, Margaret responded to the absence of free arts and culture on the south side of Chicago by founding The South Side Jazz Coalition. This organization is also dedicated to keeping the legacy of Von Freeman’s free jam sessions alive, giving musicians and music lovers a safe place to gather and share their love of live music performance.
Margaret was named Chicago’s 2018 Jazz Hero by the Jazz Journalists of America for her work as executive director of The South Side Jazz Coalition. She has received numerous awards for her arts activism from Chicago grassroots organizations, among them: Global Girls Chicago, BIBO Body In Body Out and Nami Greater Chicago. Margaret is a member of the City of Chicago Cultural Council, The Chicago Jazz Festival Committee, the Chicago Peace Fellows of Goldin Institute and South Side Mutual Aid.