Alice Tan Ridley is not depending on the success of daughter’s Gabby Sidibe to put hog maws on her table. For 18 years the former nursery school teacher and Department of Education teacher’s aide has been performing up to three times a week in New York City’s busiest subway. That’s better than what Cheri Dennis doing right about now.

“For a while, I was teaching and doing the singing, burning the candle at both ends to support my family,” Ridley said.

She eventually made subway singing a full-time job.

“When I come home at the end of the day, I have enough to pay my bills and feed my kids,” she said.

“People always say, ‘Why don’t you sing in clubs?’ I tell ‘em, ‘This is my club.’ ”

Ridley does perform at private events and has traveled to Chile, Argentina and Germany with her golden pipes. But her usual stages are in the 14th Street/Union Square, 34th Street/Sixth Avenue and Times Square/Eighth Avenue stations.

In recent weeks, she has had to cut her three-hour performances to an hour and a half.

“My voice is so big that it’s blown out my amp, so I can’t do more than that until I can afford a new amp,” said Ridley, whose next gig is today at 4:30 p.m. at 34th Street. [source]

Watch her blow after the jump!