On Friday, Sept. 13, Peggy Ratusz and Patrick Boland will take the stage at 7 p.m. for a live concert at Isothermal Community College’s Polk Center in Columbus.

With Ratusz on vocals and Boland on piano, the duo will serve up an evening of blues, jazz, Motown and old school soul. A fixture in the WNC music scene since 2002, songstress, vocal coach and writer Peggy Ratusz has won or placed in the WNC Best of Reader’s pole in blues for six straight years.

For 37 years, Ratusz has performed at festivals, concerts, clubs, fundraisers, wedding receptions and corporate events.

While influences such as Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, BB King, Susan Tedeschi and Bonnie Raitt are evident, it can’t be denied that her unique soul and voice are one of a kind. Ratusz has released three CD’s and performed on compilation CD’s featuring Women in Blues and Jazz, as well as WNCW’s Crowd Around the Mic Vol 12.