In Tonacity: The Tona Brown Story, readers are offered an unfiltered, emotionally resonant, and deeply inspiring look into the life of one of America's most trailblazing artists, Tona Brown. This compelling collection of interviews, compiled over four years by St. Louis-based writer and musician Chris King, presents not only the raw and riveting narrative of Tona's journey as a transgender musician of color but also serves as a vital cultural artifact documenting the resilience, complexity, and brilliance of Black transgender women in America.
Tona Brown, a classically trained violinist and mezzo-soprano, is a history-maker: the first transgender woman to perform at Carnegie Hall and the first African American transgender woman to perform for a U.S. president. Yet Tonacity reveals that behind these milestones lies a woman whose journey has been shaped by profound pain, hard-won triumphs, and a relentless drive to uplift others. Structured around interview transcriptions, the book captures Tona’s voice with exceptional authenticity. The format allows her story to unfold naturally, raw, reflective, and powerfully human. Chris King’s role is more than that of an interviewer; he is a thoughtful curator who knows when to step back and let Tona speak, and when to frame her words with valuable context drawn from academic research, cultural commentary, and lived experiences of the broader transgender community.
This message resonates strongly with themes explored in my 2014 interview with Tona on Heroines of My Life, where she shared, “There are plenty of opportunities for us all, but YOU must find your own niche in this industry.” In both the interview and this book, what shines through is Tona’s unwavering belief in the power of self-definition and her passion for helping others do the same.
The title, Tonacity, is more than a clever fusion of Tona’s name and “tenacity”, it’s a declaration of strength. This book is an essential read for anyone who seeks to understand not only the transgender experience, but also the universal human desire to live authentically and artistically against all odds. Whether you're part of the LGBTQ+ community or simply someone looking for a story that challenges, uplifts, and educates, Tonacity is, in every sense, a gift.
What sets Tonacity apart from typical memoir-style biographies is its dialogic structure. Rather than following a linear narrative, the interview format allows readers to experience Tona’s reflections as evolving conversations, mirroring the very process of self-discovery that so many trans people navigate. This structure also makes the book accessible, it’s not weighed down by academic jargon, yet it benefits from carefully integrated data and scholarly insights that ground personal experience in broader social realities. This balance between the intimate and the informative invites readers from all walks of life to engage with the material both emotionally and intellectually.
In an era where trans visibility is on the rise but so too is anti-trans legislation and violence, especially against Black transgender women, Tonacity feels urgent and necessary. It doesn’t shy away from the darkest moments of Tona’s life, including trauma, marginalization, and the psychological toll of societal rejection. Yet, it is also a celebration, of art, survival, womanhood, and the radical power of living one's truth. Tona Brown doesn’t just tell her story, she reclaims it and repurposes it into a beacon of hope for others. As she continues to perform, teach, and advocate, Tonacity ensures her legacy will resonate far beyond the concert halls.
Available via Amazon
Photo via Heroines of My Life
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