DYKON Story Hour at 1125 Valencia St – San Francisco, CA

To prepare for the SBDP’s upcoming Dyke Herstory Dance Tour, join us at City College of San Francisco for an evening of storytelling from local Dyke icons: Linda Tillery and Vicki Randle! This DYKON Story Hour is sponsored by The Curve Foundation and the CCSF Departments of LGBTQ+ Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies.

When: April 22, 2026 at 6:00 PM

Where: City College of San Francisco (1125 Valencia St, SF)

DYKON= Dyke Icon

The word dyke has a complex history. Once used as a slur against lesbians, it has been reclaimed by many as a political and chosen identity across queer communities. Today, people who identify with the term include lesbians, trans dykes, nonbinary people, masc and femme identities, and others who feel connected to the word’s history and cultural significance.

As we develop the Dyke HERstory Dance Tour, Sarah Bush Dance Project is committed to engaging this history with care, curiosity, and openness. We recognize that the word carries different meanings and experiences for different people.

DYKON Story Hour is intended as an inclusive, intergenerational space for listening, storytelling, and dialogue. Our goal is to honor the many people and communities who have shaped dyke culture and queer history in the Bay Area, while making room for conversation about how language, identity, and community continue to evolve.

Meet our DYKONS

Linda Tillery

A trailblazer in the Northern California music scene, Linda Tillery has an illustrious career that spans over five decades, during which she has captivated audiences with her soulful voice, masterful percussion, and profound contributions to vocal styling, arranging, music production, and ethnomusicology.

Tillery first made her mark as the lead singer of the psychedelic soul group The Loading Zone in the late 1960s. Throughout the 1970s, she worked as a session musician and vocalist for icons like Santana, Boz Scaggs, Huey Lewis and the News, and the Turtle Island String Quartet. Her pioneering work as an artist and producer at Olivia Records significantly contributed to the Women’s Music genre, leading to collaborations with renowned artists such as June Millington, Deirdre McCalla, Barbara Higbie, Holly Near, Margie Adam, Kenny Loggins, and Bobby McFerrin.

In addition to her performance and production work, Tillery founded the Grammy-nominated Cultural Heritage Choir, a group dedicated to preserving African-American roots music. Her journey has also seen her produce music for documentary films and dance performances, challenge societal norms through powerful songs, and build bridges between diverse cultures.

Not resting on her many laurels, she remains a vital presence in the Bay Area music scene. Most recently, on February 8, 2026, she led the Cultural Heritage Choir in a performance at The Freight in Berkeley. The show was dedicated to the memory of “Soprano Supreme” Tammi Brown and also helped debut the long-awaited release of Tillery’s solo recording Alabama Shoes (https://bit.ly/4tWauCT).

Vicki Randle

Vicki Randle singer, guitarist, bassist, percussionist and composer with a 50 year long career working with too many artists to list. She has toured and/or recorded with George Benson, Lionel Richie, Herbie Hancock, Kenny Loggins, Aretha Franklin, Mavis Staples and the MC5. A member of the Tonight Show with Jay Leno band from 1992-2010. Most recently she has split her time between Greg Loiacono’s “Stingray” and her black rock band “Skip The Needle.”