1943 Jimmy Burns*
1954 Neal Schon*
1959 Johnny Van Zant*
1965 Sean Chambers*
2011 Eddie Kirkland+
1954 Neal Schon*
1959 Johnny Van Zant*
1965 Sean Chambers*
2011 Eddie Kirkland+
Happy Birthday
Neal Schon *27.02.1954
Neal George Joseph Schon (* 27. Februar 1954 in Oklahoma City) ist ein US-amerikanischer Blues- und Rock-Gitarrist. Bekannt wurde er vor allem in den 1970er und 1980er Jahren durch seine Arbeit mit der Band Journey.
Bereits als kleines Kind begann Schon Oboe und Gitarre zu spielen. 1971 schloss er sich der Santana Blues Band an und tourte mit dem bekannten Gitarristen Carlos Santana in den Jahren von 1971 bis 1972 um die Welt. Gleichzeitig erhielt er auch ein Angebot von Eric Clapton, das er jedoch zugunsten von Santana ablehnte. Auf sämtlichen Santana-Alben dieser Zeit sind einige Soli von Schon zu hören.
1973 gründete er zusammen mit Ex-Santana Keyboarder Gregg Rolie die Band Journey, mit der er auf der ganzen Welt bekannt wurde. Bis 1987 feierte er mit der Band zahlreiche Erfolge mit Alben und Konzerten. Bekannteste Stücke der Band sind Wheel in the Sky, Anyway You Want It und Don’t Stop Believin’. Während des Bestehens der Band von 1973 bis zu deren zwischenzeitlichen Auflösung 1987 konzentrierte er sich fast ganz auf das Wirken mit seinen Kollegen. Nur sporadisch wirkte er an Alben anderer Künstler mit. Zu Beginn der 1980er Jahre veröffentlichte er mit dem bekannten Jazz-Pianisten und -Keyboarder Jan Hammer drei Alben. Auch seine ersten beiden Solo-Alben brachte er zu dieser Zeit auf den Markt, hatte mit ihnen aber zunächst nur geringen kommerziellen Erfolg.
Nach der Trennung von Journey konzentrierte sich Schon mehr auf seine eigenen CDs und andere Projekte. So gründete 1988 die Band Bad English, die sich aus den ehemaligen Journey-Mitgliedern Jonathan Cain und Deen Castronovo sowie einigen anderen Musikern zusammensetzte. Mit ihnen brachte Schon zwei Alben und später ein Greatest-Hits-Album heraus. Zu Beginn der 1990er Jahre kamen einige weitere Projekte hinzu. So beispielsweise Hardline, wo er erneut mit seinem alten Bandkollegen Castronovo zusammenspielte. Auch zwei weitere Solo-Alben brachte Schon in dieser Zeit heraus und arbeitete an einigen instrumentalen Gitarren-CDs mit.
1996 kam es zu der Reunion von Journey, bei der auch Schon erneut mitwirkte. Er ist damit der einzige Musiker, der auf bislang allen Journey-Alben mitgewirkt hat. Schon blieb aber weiter an vielen Fronten aktiv, veröffentlichte bis heute vier weitere Solo-Alben. Für Voice (2001) wurde er für einen Grammy nominiert. Andere Projekte waren unter anderem Soul Sirkus – eine Band, die 2005 ihr einziges Album herausbrachte und sich kurz darauf wieder trennte. Auch mit Van Halen-Sänger Sammy Hagar arbeitete er für dessen Solo-Album zusammen. 2007 war Schon mit Journey wieder auf einer großen Tournee, unter anderem durch Europa. Auch ein neues Album der Band war in Planung.
Schon spielt eine nach seinen Vorstellungen gefertigte und nach ihm benannte Les Paul-Gitarre der Firma Gibson von der lediglich 23 Exemplare hergestellt wurden. Außerdem benutzt er Paul Reed Smith-Gitarren. Früher verwendete er hauptsächlich Gitarren der Firma Godin, zum Beispiel auf seinem Solo-Album Beyond the Thunder von 1995.
In den späten 1980er Jahren produzierte und spielte er seine eigene Gitarrenlinie von Jackson Guitars. Von den schlicht Schon genannten Gitarren wurden weniger als 200 gefertigt. Eine weiße Schon-Gitarre ist unter anderem im Journey-Video zu Girl Can’t Help It zu sehen. Eine goldene spielte Schon unter anderem in den Videos zu I’ll Be Alright und Be Good To Yourself.
Neal George Joseph Schon (born February 27, 1954)[1] is an American rock guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist best known for his work with the bands Journey and Bad English. He is Journey's last original constant member, having participated in every album and tour to date. He was also a member of the rock band Santana before forming Journey.
Schon was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame on August 23, 2013.[2]
Early life and career
Schon was born at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, the son of Barbara and Matthew Schon.[3] He is of German and Italian ancestry.[4][5] Schon first picked up the guitar at "around the age of five."[3] A quick learner, he joined Santana as a teenager at 15.[3] Schon has said he was asked by Eric Clapton to join Derek and the Dominos,[3] but that he joined Santana instead, and performed on the album Santana III. Schon also played in Azteca before moving on in 1973 to form Journey, a group he has continued to lead to the present day.
Schon's guitar style has been described[by whom?] as soulful, taking inspiration from 1960s-era soul singers such as Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight, and blending it with blues runs similar to B. B. King. He was influenced by guitarists such as Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana and Wes Montgomery.
In addition to his five solo albums and 14 studio albums with Journey, his work also includes: a pair of albums with keyboardist Jan Hammer, short-term collaborations with Sammy Hagar (HSAS and Planet Us) and Paul Rodgers, stints with Bad English (a supergroup that featured Journey’s Jonathan Cain and Deen Castronovo and Jonathan Cain's former Babys bandmates John Waite and Ricky Phillips) and Hardline (which also featured Deen Castronovo). Even as Journey’s latest lineup plays to a still-faithful body of fans, Schon has immersed himself in side projects such as Piranha Blues (1999) and "Black Soup Cracker" a funk outfit that features former Prince associates Rosie Gaines and Michael Bland, and more recently Soul SirkUS with Jeff Scott Soto.
Schon can be heard on other albums including three tracks on Michael Bolton's The Hunger, with the Schon sound most recognizable on "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay". He also joined Larry Graham to play in an all-star band for cult funk artist and ex-wife of Miles Davis, Betty Davis. In addition, Schon (along with then Journey manager Herbie Herbert) also contributed to Lenny White's 1977 album "Big City", specifically the instrumental jam "And we meet again".
Guitars
Schon's first guitar was an acoustic Stella, followed two years later by a Gibson ES-335. When the 335 was stolen, he replaced it with a '56 Les Paul Goldtop reissue that he used for many years.[6][7] Schon has used Gibson guitars over the years, and had a limited edition signature Les Paul model called the Neal Schon Signature Model Custom Les Paul, of which Gibson made only 35, according to the Gibson Custom website (80 according to Neal Schon's website).[6] He has previously employed Godin guitars on his 1995 solo album Beyond the Thunder, and more recently uses Paul Reed Smith guitars. In the late 1980s, Schon manufactured (through Jackson Guitars and later Larrivee) and played his own line of guitars. Simply named Schon, about 200 of the Jackson-produced models were made.[8] A white Schon guitar can be clearly seen in the music video for the Journey song "Girl Can't Help It", as well as a gold version in the Journey videos for "I'll Be Alright Without You" and "Be Good to Yourself". A Gibson Les Paul Super Custom can be seen in the video for the Journey song "Anyway You Want It." Recently he has been seen using a Seven String Ibanez Universe, which was a gift from Steve Vai as documented in the liner notes of the Hardline - Double Eclipse album.[9] On the song "Lights", he uses a Fender Stratocaster later equipped with a Floyd Rose tremolo.
As of 2008, Schon currently prefers guitar pedals from Xotic, a Vox Satriani model and occasionally uses a Buddy Guy wah pedal.[10]
In a 2007 interview, Neal confirmed that he has had tinnitus for years stemming from excessive loud playing.[11] Schon's father, Matthew Schon, was a jazz musician and composer who provided the arrangements on the Journey song "Mother, Father."
Currently, Neal uses Paul Reed Smith guitars, and has two signature models with the "NS" prefix.
Personal life
In September 2011, Schon publicly confirmed he was in a relationship with Michaele Salahi. The two said they had also dated years previously in the 90's and they were very happy together.[13][14] The two became engaged in October 2012 during a Baltimore performance.[15] This was Neal's fifth marriage according to NBC's Today Show on December 16, 2013.
Schon was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame on August 23, 2013.[2]
Early life and career
Schon was born at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, the son of Barbara and Matthew Schon.[3] He is of German and Italian ancestry.[4][5] Schon first picked up the guitar at "around the age of five."[3] A quick learner, he joined Santana as a teenager at 15.[3] Schon has said he was asked by Eric Clapton to join Derek and the Dominos,[3] but that he joined Santana instead, and performed on the album Santana III. Schon also played in Azteca before moving on in 1973 to form Journey, a group he has continued to lead to the present day.
Schon's guitar style has been described[by whom?] as soulful, taking inspiration from 1960s-era soul singers such as Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight, and blending it with blues runs similar to B. B. King. He was influenced by guitarists such as Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana and Wes Montgomery.
In addition to his five solo albums and 14 studio albums with Journey, his work also includes: a pair of albums with keyboardist Jan Hammer, short-term collaborations with Sammy Hagar (HSAS and Planet Us) and Paul Rodgers, stints with Bad English (a supergroup that featured Journey’s Jonathan Cain and Deen Castronovo and Jonathan Cain's former Babys bandmates John Waite and Ricky Phillips) and Hardline (which also featured Deen Castronovo). Even as Journey’s latest lineup plays to a still-faithful body of fans, Schon has immersed himself in side projects such as Piranha Blues (1999) and "Black Soup Cracker" a funk outfit that features former Prince associates Rosie Gaines and Michael Bland, and more recently Soul SirkUS with Jeff Scott Soto.
Schon can be heard on other albums including three tracks on Michael Bolton's The Hunger, with the Schon sound most recognizable on "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay". He also joined Larry Graham to play in an all-star band for cult funk artist and ex-wife of Miles Davis, Betty Davis. In addition, Schon (along with then Journey manager Herbie Herbert) also contributed to Lenny White's 1977 album "Big City", specifically the instrumental jam "And we meet again".
Guitars
Schon's first guitar was an acoustic Stella, followed two years later by a Gibson ES-335. When the 335 was stolen, he replaced it with a '56 Les Paul Goldtop reissue that he used for many years.[6][7] Schon has used Gibson guitars over the years, and had a limited edition signature Les Paul model called the Neal Schon Signature Model Custom Les Paul, of which Gibson made only 35, according to the Gibson Custom website (80 according to Neal Schon's website).[6] He has previously employed Godin guitars on his 1995 solo album Beyond the Thunder, and more recently uses Paul Reed Smith guitars. In the late 1980s, Schon manufactured (through Jackson Guitars and later Larrivee) and played his own line of guitars. Simply named Schon, about 200 of the Jackson-produced models were made.[8] A white Schon guitar can be clearly seen in the music video for the Journey song "Girl Can't Help It", as well as a gold version in the Journey videos for "I'll Be Alright Without You" and "Be Good to Yourself". A Gibson Les Paul Super Custom can be seen in the video for the Journey song "Anyway You Want It." Recently he has been seen using a Seven String Ibanez Universe, which was a gift from Steve Vai as documented in the liner notes of the Hardline - Double Eclipse album.[9] On the song "Lights", he uses a Fender Stratocaster later equipped with a Floyd Rose tremolo.
As of 2008, Schon currently prefers guitar pedals from Xotic, a Vox Satriani model and occasionally uses a Buddy Guy wah pedal.[10]
In a 2007 interview, Neal confirmed that he has had tinnitus for years stemming from excessive loud playing.[11] Schon's father, Matthew Schon, was a jazz musician and composer who provided the arrangements on the Journey song "Mother, Father."
Currently, Neal uses Paul Reed Smith guitars, and has two signature models with the "NS" prefix.
Personal life
In September 2011, Schon publicly confirmed he was in a relationship with Michaele Salahi. The two said they had also dated years previously in the 90's and they were very happy together.[13][14] The two became engaged in October 2012 during a Baltimore performance.[15] This was Neal's fifth marriage according to NBC's Today Show on December 16, 2013.
Sean Chambers *27.02.1965
Florida born, Sean Chambers toured with the legendary Hubert Sumlin as his guitarist and band leader from 1998-2003. Britain’s own Guitarist magazine named Chambers as “One of the top 50 blues guitarists of the last century.” After his tenure with Sumlin, he performed on his own, and in 2003 was asked to headline the prestigious Maryport Blues Festival.
In 2004, shortly after his second CD release, Sean was forced to relocate when his home in Florida was struck by two of the major hurricanes that hit the state, and flooded out his home. In 2009, Chambers went back into the studio to record what would be his most critically-acclaimed album to date, Ten Til Midnight.
When Ten Til Midnight was released in October, 2009, it garnered rave reviews and also appeared on the Living Blues chart for the first three months after its release. It received steady airplay in 45 states around the U.S, as well as many markets overseas. The title cut was featured on “The House of Blues Radio Hour” as a “Blues Breaker;” and the album also generated significant airplay on Sirius/XM Radio’s blues channel as a “Pick to Click.”
The Sean Chambers Band released Live from the Long Island Blues Warehouse in 2011, which featured 10 tracks of mostly originals, along with Sean’s distinctively searing takes on “Full Moon on Main Street,” a highlight song from an early album by The Kinsey Report; as well as a blistering version of Elmore James’ “Dust My Broom,” which recalls Johnny Winter in its approach.
Live from the Long Island Blues Warehouse appeared on BB King’s Bluesville XM/Sirius Blues Charts as a “Pick to Click” for 6 weeks in a row, as well as 15 weeks on the RMR Weekly Blues Roots Chart and 11 weeks on the House of Blues Radio Chart. The album was voted “Best Live Blues Album of 2011” by Canada’s Blues Underground Network and ranked as one of the Top 3 Live CD’s in Germany by the magazine Wasser Prawda. In addition it was nominated for a Jimi Award for “Best Live Blues Album of 2011.” Guitar Player Magazine did a full page feature story on Sean in February, 2012, and the same month Vintage Guitar Magazine ran a two page feature story.
On October 15, 2013, Sean Chambers released his newest album, The Rock House Sessions, on Blue Heat Records. The Rock House Sessions features a number of firsts: it’s the first album he’s recorded as Sean Chambers rather than the Sean Chambers Band; producing for the first time is legendary keyboard player Reese Wynans (best-known for his long tenure as a member of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s band); and it’s his first recording exclusively using studio musicians, as Sean and Reese drew from the deep talent-laden pool of Nashville musicians and songwriters. The album was recorded at the studio of another acclaimed keyboardist – Kevin McKendree (Delbert McClinton Band) – named The Rock House, hence The Rock House Sessions.
The core band on the album aside from Sean on lead vocals and lead guitar includes Reese Wynans on keyboards, Tommy MacDonald on bass and Tom Hambridge on drums. Special guests include Rob McNelley on guitar, TJ Klay on harmonica, Chaz Trippy on percussion, Etta Britt on backing vocals, Bob Britt on guitar, Steve Herman on trumpet, and Jim Hoke on sax.
Besides three new original Sean Chambers compositions, The Rock House Sessions includes “Choo Choo Mama,” written by Alvin Lee; “Holding On” written by Gary Moore; and “Come to Poppa,” written by Willie Mitchell and Earl Randle but made famous by Bob Seger. Other tracks include new songs by Gary Nicholson, Tom Hambridge, Kenny Greenberg and Rick Vito.
Sean Chambers currently resides in his home state of Southwest Florida, with his wife Karen who is also his merchandise manager.
Guitarist, singer, and songwriter Sean Chambers counts Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan among his primary guitar influences, and their type of guitar stylings can be heard in his recordings and at his live shows. Raised on the Gulf coast of Florida, like so many others enamored with blues and blues-rock who played guitar, the younger Sean Chambers also lent his teenaged ears to recordings by Johnny Winter, Freddie King, B.B. King and Albert King, as well as Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and ZZ Top.
Strong Temptation
Chambers released his debut album, Strong Temptation in 1998, after 15 years of playing out in clubs and refining his vocal and guitar talents. After finishing up college, Chambers caught a break in Memphis in 1998 when he was asked to play with former Howlin' Wolf guitarist Hubert Sumlin at a Memphis blues festival. He subsequently toured with the veteran guitarist -- who recovered from cancer to get back on the road -- for the next four years. Chambers has shared stages and sat in with many of his blues and blues-rock heroes, including Derek Trucks, Gregg Allman, Kim Simmons, Tab Benoit, Jeff Healey, Leslie West, Rick Derringer, Pat Travers, Kim Wilson, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Walter Trout, Big Bill Morganfield, Koko Taylor, Ike Turner, and Robert Cray, among dozens of others who frequent the Tampa area club scene. Chambers tours mostly in Florida with the occasional foray north or to the Midwest or to Great Britain. His discography includes just two albums, but a third is in the works. They include Strong Temptation for Vestige Records and 2005's Humble Spirits for Rockview Records. In 2001, Great Britain's Guitarist magazine named Chambers one of the Fifty Greatest Guitarists of all time.
Johnny Van Zant *27.02.1959
Johnny Van Zant (* 27. Februar 1959 in Jacksonville, Florida, USA) ist ein US-amerikanischer Rock- und Country-Sänger. Er ist der jüngere Bruder des früheren Lynyrd Skynyrd-Frontmannes Ronnie Van Zant und des 38-Special-Sängers Donnie Van Zant.[1]
Leben
Bereits mit 15 Jahren war Van Zant als Musiker aktiv. Seine ersten musikalischen Schritte begann er als Schlagzeuger, entschloss sich dann aber zu einer Karriere als Sänger. Sein Bruder Ronnie war der Meinung, er habe die beste Stimme in der Familie. Mit seiner ersten Band, der „Austin Nickels Band“, spielte er in vielen Bars im Umkreis seiner Heimat Jacksonville, Florida. Sein Bruder Ronnie unterstützte die Band. Als Ronnie 1977 bei einem Flugzeugabsturz ums Leben kam, versuchte Van Zant, seinen jüngeren Bruder zu unterstützen. Der Tod von Ronnie Van Zant und anderer Mitglieder der Band machte ihn somit quasi zum Erben seines Bruders.[1]
Erst 1980 nahm Van Zant sein erstes Album auf. Unter dem Namen „Johnny Van Zant Band“ erschien das erste Album mit dem Titel „No More Dirty Deals“. Hier ist mit dem Song „Standing in the Darkness“ auch Johnnys Tribut an seinen Bruder Ronnie zu finden.[1]
Die „Johnny Van Zant Band“ nahm zwei weitere Alben mit den Titeln „Round Two“ (1981) und „Last of the Wild Ones“ (1982) auf. In der Folge wechselte die Band zum größeren Plattenlabel Geffen Records, wo sie 1985 „Van Zant“ aufnahm. Obwohl Van Zants Karriere erfolgreich war, bemerkte er für sich eine Veränderung im Southern Rock. Um seine Musik nicht ändern zu müssen, zog er sich aus dem Musikszene zurück und verbrachte einige Jahre als Trucker. Er kam zurück mit der Unterstützung der wiederauferstandenen „Lynyrd Skynyrd“. Für eine Tribute-Tour wurde er der Sänger und blieb hinterher als festes Mitglied bei der Band. Obwohl einige Kritiker dieses als eine Art Grabschändung an Ronnie Van Zant sahen, bewies er in den folgenden Jahren seine Qualitäten als Sänger und Songwriter.[1]
Van Zant nahm 1990 die Platte „Brickyard Road“ auf, legte seine Solokarriere aber zugunsten „Lynyrd Skynyrds“ auf Eis.
1998 nahm Van Zant zusammen mit seinem Bruder Donnie die CDs „Brother to Brother“ und „Van Zant II“ auf. 2007 veröffentlichten die beiden Brüder Donnie und Johnny Van Zant unter dem Namen „The Van Zants“ das Album „My Kind Of Country“, das eher dem Country-Rock-Genre zuzuordnen ist.
John Roy "Johnny" Van Zant (born February 27, 1959) is an American musician and the current lead vocalist of Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. He is the younger brother of the late Lynyrd Skynyrd co-founder and former lead vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, and of the .38 Special founder, Donnie Van Zant.
Van Zant performed during the 1970s with his first band, The Austin Nickels Band. They later changed their name to The Johnny Van Zant Band releasing their debut solo album, No More Dirty Deals, in 1980. Original members of The Johnny Van Zant Band consisted of Van Zant on lead vocals, Robbie Gay on guitar, Danny Clausman, on bass, Erik Lundgren on lead guitar, Robbie Morris, drums and Joan Hecht (previously Joan Cusumano) and Nancy Henderson on background vocals. Van Zant released three more solo albums between 1981 and 1985, before taking a break from the music business.
He became lead vocalist for the reunited Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1987, and continues to record and perform with them today. He released another solo album, Brickyard Road, in 1990, which featured the popular title track, which was a #1 hit on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for three weeks. He also records and performs with his brother, Donnie, as Van Zant since 1998.
In May 2006, less than one day before he was to perform at KSAN-FM 107.7 The Bone's Bone Bash 7, Van Zant underwent emergency surgery to have his appendix removed. Treated at Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto, California, after reporting pain to a doctor earlier in the day. The incident forced the band to cancel three U.S. shows.[1]
Van Zant is an avid fan of the Jacksonville Jaguars. He recorded a video, along with remaining members of Lynyrd Skynyrd, that is played at every Jaguars home game on the Everbank Field video board.[citation needed]
According to Skynyrd's website, Van Zant was again hospitalized on August 6, 2011 at the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota due to complications from a previous surgery. According to the website, Van Zant had a "surgical site" infected with cellulitus which required both hospitalization and IV/Antibiotic Treatment. He began displaying signs of a staph infection and other symptoms related to the infection. His subsequent illness resulted in a number of scheduled performances being cancelled.
Van Zant performed during the 1970s with his first band, The Austin Nickels Band. They later changed their name to The Johnny Van Zant Band releasing their debut solo album, No More Dirty Deals, in 1980. Original members of The Johnny Van Zant Band consisted of Van Zant on lead vocals, Robbie Gay on guitar, Danny Clausman, on bass, Erik Lundgren on lead guitar, Robbie Morris, drums and Joan Hecht (previously Joan Cusumano) and Nancy Henderson on background vocals. Van Zant released three more solo albums between 1981 and 1985, before taking a break from the music business.
He became lead vocalist for the reunited Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1987, and continues to record and perform with them today. He released another solo album, Brickyard Road, in 1990, which featured the popular title track, which was a #1 hit on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for three weeks. He also records and performs with his brother, Donnie, as Van Zant since 1998.
In May 2006, less than one day before he was to perform at KSAN-FM 107.7 The Bone's Bone Bash 7, Van Zant underwent emergency surgery to have his appendix removed. Treated at Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto, California, after reporting pain to a doctor earlier in the day. The incident forced the band to cancel three U.S. shows.[1]
Van Zant is an avid fan of the Jacksonville Jaguars. He recorded a video, along with remaining members of Lynyrd Skynyrd, that is played at every Jaguars home game on the Everbank Field video board.[citation needed]
According to Skynyrd's website, Van Zant was again hospitalized on August 6, 2011 at the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota due to complications from a previous surgery. According to the website, Van Zant had a "surgical site" infected with cellulitus which required both hospitalization and IV/Antibiotic Treatment. He began displaying signs of a staph infection and other symptoms related to the infection. His subsequent illness resulted in a number of scheduled performances being cancelled.
Johnny Van Zant Brickyard Road Lynyrd Skynyrd
R.I.P.
Eddie Kirkland +27.02.2011
Eddie Kirkland (* 16. August 1923 in Jamaika; † 27. Februar 2011 in Crystal River, Florida), war ein afroamerikanischer Bluesmusiker.
Er war als Sänger, Mundharmonikaspieler und Gitarrist ein Vertreter des Genres Electric Blues. Von 1949 bis 1962 war er Manager und Begleitmusiker von John Lee Hooker; er ist auf vielen seiner Aufnahmen aus dieser Zeit als zweiter Gitarrist zu hören. [1] 1962 und 1963 war er Gitarrist und Bandleader bei Otis Redding. [2] In der zweiten Hälfte der 1960er Jahre arbeitete er als Automechaniker. Ab 1970 wurde er als Bluesmusiker wiederentdeckt. Bis zu seinem Tod tourte er fast ununterbrochen und veröffentlichte zahlreiche Aufnahmen. Eddie Kirkland starb mit 87 Jahren bei einem Autounfall in Florida.
Eddie Kirkland (August 16, 1923 – February 27, 2011) was an American electric blues[1] guitarist, harmonicist, singer, and songwriter.
Kirkland, known as the "Gypsy of the Blues" for his rigorous touring schedules, played and toured with John Lee Hooker from 1949 to 1962. After his period of working in tandem with Hooker he pursued a successful solo career, recording for RPM Records, Fortune Records, Volt Records, and King Records, sometimes under the stage name Eddie Kirk. Kirkland continued to tour, write and record albums until his death in February 2011.
Biography
Kirkland was born in Jamaica to a mother, aged 11 (Kirkland was raised believing his mother was his sister), and first heard the blues from "field hollers",[2] and raised in Dothan, Alabama until 1935,[3] when he stowed away in the Sugar Girls Medicine Show tent truck and left town. Blind Blake was the one who influenced him the most in those early days.[4] He was placed on the chorus line with "Diamond Tooth Mary" McLean. When the show closed a year later, he was in Dunkirk, Indiana where he briefly returned to school.
He joined the United States Army during World War II. It was racism in the military, he said, that led him to seek out the devil.[5] After his discharge Kirkland traveled to Detroit where his mother had relocated. After a day's work at the Ford Rouge Plant, Kirkland played his guitar at house parties, and there he met John Lee Hooker. Kirkland, a frequent second guitarist in recordings from 1949–1962. "It was difficult playin' behind Hooker but I had a good ear and was able to move in behind him on anything he did."[6]
Kirkland fashioned his own style of playing open chords, and transformed the rough, porch style delta blues into the electric age by using his thumb, rather than a guitar pick. He secured his own series of recordings with Sid Nathan of King Records in 1953, at Fortune Records in 1958 and, by 1961, on his own album It's the Blues Man, with the King Curtis Band[3] for Prestige Records.
Kirkland became Hooker's road manager and the two traveled from Detroit to the Deep South on many tours, the last being in 1962 when Hooker abandoned Kirkland to go overseas. Kirkland found his way to Macon, Georgia and began performing with Otis Redding as his guitarist and band leader.[3] As Eddie Kirk, he released "The Hawg" as a single on Volt Records in 1963.[7] The record was overshadowed by Rufus Thomas's recordings, and Kirkland, discouraged by the music industry and his own lack of education to change the situation, turned to his other skill and sought work as an auto mechanic to earn a living for his growing family.[citation needed]
In 1970, one of the revivals of the blues was taking place. Peter B. Lowry found Kirkland in Macon and convinced him to record again. His first sessions were done in a motel room, resulting in the acoustic, solo LP Front and Center; his second was a studio-recorded band album, the funky The Devil... and other blues demons. Both were released on Lowry's Trix Records label. It was during the mid-1970s that Kirkland befriended the British blues-rock band, Foghat.[8] Kirkland remained with Lowry, Trix, and was based in the Hudson Valley for twelve years. It was during this period that Kirkland appeared on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert with Muddy Waters, Honeyboy Edwards, and Foghat. These were also the years that Kirkland again energized his sound. "Eddie's thumb pick and fingers style give him freedom to play powerful chord riffs rich in rhythms and harmonic tension. He plays like a funky pianist, simultaneously covering bass lines, chord kick, and counterpoint."[9]
The 1990s brought Randy Labbe as manager, booking agent and on his own record label, Deluge, recorded Kirkland. Three albums were produced during this Maine period, one live, one with a guest appearance from Hooker and one containing a duet with Christine Ohlman. By 2000, Kirkland was on his own again, always doing his own driving to concerts in his Ford County Squires, crossing the country several times a year. Labeled now as the Road Warrior, "A thickset, powerful man in the waistcoat and pants of a pin strip suit; red shirt, medallion, shades and a black leather cap over a bandanna, his heavy leather overcoat slung over his arm,.... he's already a Road Warrior par excellence."[10]
Well into his eighties Kirkland continued to drive himself to gigs along the coast and in Europe, frequently playing with the Wentus Blues Band from Finland.
A documentary short entitled PICK UP THE PIECES was made about a year in Eddie's life (2010) and it could be viewed on youtube.com up until Eddie's death when the family asked that it be removed. It followed Eddie's struggles as an uneducated African American trying to make it as a Blues musician and it chronicled his hard life that included taking three lives in self-defense, his stint in the armed forces resulting in an unfair discharge, his struggles with poverty, his many children ( he claimed 73), and his love of music.
Death
Kirkland died in a car accident on the morning of February 27, 2011 in Crystal River, Florida. At approximately 8:30 a.m. a bus hit Kirkland's car, a 1998 Ford Taurus wagon. Reportedly Kirkland attempted to make a U-turn on U.S. 98 and Oak Park Boulevard, putting him directly in the path of a Greyhound bus. The bus struck the vehicle on the right side and pushed it approximately 200 feet from the point of impact.[11] Kirkland suffered serious injuries and was transported by helicopter to Tampa General Hospital, where he died a short time later. The bus driver and 13 passengers on the bus were not hurt.[12]
Family
Kirkland was survived by his wife, Mary, and nine children.[2] He was predeceased by one child Betty, and his first wife Ida.
Kirkland, known as the "Gypsy of the Blues" for his rigorous touring schedules, played and toured with John Lee Hooker from 1949 to 1962. After his period of working in tandem with Hooker he pursued a successful solo career, recording for RPM Records, Fortune Records, Volt Records, and King Records, sometimes under the stage name Eddie Kirk. Kirkland continued to tour, write and record albums until his death in February 2011.
Biography
Kirkland was born in Jamaica to a mother, aged 11 (Kirkland was raised believing his mother was his sister), and first heard the blues from "field hollers",[2] and raised in Dothan, Alabama until 1935,[3] when he stowed away in the Sugar Girls Medicine Show tent truck and left town. Blind Blake was the one who influenced him the most in those early days.[4] He was placed on the chorus line with "Diamond Tooth Mary" McLean. When the show closed a year later, he was in Dunkirk, Indiana where he briefly returned to school.
He joined the United States Army during World War II. It was racism in the military, he said, that led him to seek out the devil.[5] After his discharge Kirkland traveled to Detroit where his mother had relocated. After a day's work at the Ford Rouge Plant, Kirkland played his guitar at house parties, and there he met John Lee Hooker. Kirkland, a frequent second guitarist in recordings from 1949–1962. "It was difficult playin' behind Hooker but I had a good ear and was able to move in behind him on anything he did."[6]
Kirkland fashioned his own style of playing open chords, and transformed the rough, porch style delta blues into the electric age by using his thumb, rather than a guitar pick. He secured his own series of recordings with Sid Nathan of King Records in 1953, at Fortune Records in 1958 and, by 1961, on his own album It's the Blues Man, with the King Curtis Band[3] for Prestige Records.
Kirkland became Hooker's road manager and the two traveled from Detroit to the Deep South on many tours, the last being in 1962 when Hooker abandoned Kirkland to go overseas. Kirkland found his way to Macon, Georgia and began performing with Otis Redding as his guitarist and band leader.[3] As Eddie Kirk, he released "The Hawg" as a single on Volt Records in 1963.[7] The record was overshadowed by Rufus Thomas's recordings, and Kirkland, discouraged by the music industry and his own lack of education to change the situation, turned to his other skill and sought work as an auto mechanic to earn a living for his growing family.[citation needed]
In 1970, one of the revivals of the blues was taking place. Peter B. Lowry found Kirkland in Macon and convinced him to record again. His first sessions were done in a motel room, resulting in the acoustic, solo LP Front and Center; his second was a studio-recorded band album, the funky The Devil... and other blues demons. Both were released on Lowry's Trix Records label. It was during the mid-1970s that Kirkland befriended the British blues-rock band, Foghat.[8] Kirkland remained with Lowry, Trix, and was based in the Hudson Valley for twelve years. It was during this period that Kirkland appeared on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert with Muddy Waters, Honeyboy Edwards, and Foghat. These were also the years that Kirkland again energized his sound. "Eddie's thumb pick and fingers style give him freedom to play powerful chord riffs rich in rhythms and harmonic tension. He plays like a funky pianist, simultaneously covering bass lines, chord kick, and counterpoint."[9]
The 1990s brought Randy Labbe as manager, booking agent and on his own record label, Deluge, recorded Kirkland. Three albums were produced during this Maine period, one live, one with a guest appearance from Hooker and one containing a duet with Christine Ohlman. By 2000, Kirkland was on his own again, always doing his own driving to concerts in his Ford County Squires, crossing the country several times a year. Labeled now as the Road Warrior, "A thickset, powerful man in the waistcoat and pants of a pin strip suit; red shirt, medallion, shades and a black leather cap over a bandanna, his heavy leather overcoat slung over his arm,.... he's already a Road Warrior par excellence."[10]
Well into his eighties Kirkland continued to drive himself to gigs along the coast and in Europe, frequently playing with the Wentus Blues Band from Finland.
A documentary short entitled PICK UP THE PIECES was made about a year in Eddie's life (2010) and it could be viewed on youtube.com up until Eddie's death when the family asked that it be removed. It followed Eddie's struggles as an uneducated African American trying to make it as a Blues musician and it chronicled his hard life that included taking three lives in self-defense, his stint in the armed forces resulting in an unfair discharge, his struggles with poverty, his many children ( he claimed 73), and his love of music.
Death
Kirkland died in a car accident on the morning of February 27, 2011 in Crystal River, Florida. At approximately 8:30 a.m. a bus hit Kirkland's car, a 1998 Ford Taurus wagon. Reportedly Kirkland attempted to make a U-turn on U.S. 98 and Oak Park Boulevard, putting him directly in the path of a Greyhound bus. The bus struck the vehicle on the right side and pushed it approximately 200 feet from the point of impact.[11] Kirkland suffered serious injuries and was transported by helicopter to Tampa General Hospital, where he died a short time later. The bus driver and 13 passengers on the bus were not hurt.[12]
Family
Kirkland was survived by his wife, Mary, and nine children.[2] He was predeceased by one child Betty, and his first wife Ida.
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