LUCKY
PETERSON
A 40
something music prodigy (guitar, piano, organ and various instruments)
started his schooling in the blues at such an early age that trainin'
wheels were more appropriate than a drivin' wheel. Taking up drums
at age three and shortly thereafter organ, bass, and guitar, the precocious
Peterson appeared on " The Ed Sullivan Show" and recorded an album
with Willie Dixon at the youthful age of five. Fortunately, Lucky
Peterson's virtuosity was tempered by a healthy dose of the blues
since his father, James Peterson, operated the Governor's Inn, a blues
club in Buffalo, NY.
TRUDY
LYNN
Houston's "First Lady of Soul," Trudy Lynn was raised in that hometown,
where she was born Lee Audrey Nelms. Unlike many African-American
vocalists, Trudy learned her singing in school, versus in church.
She felt confident enough to start a small vocal ensemble upon entering
high school. After graduation in 1965, she spent the summer with an
aunt in Lufkin, a rural Texas town about 100 miles from Houston. There,
she found a club where, after singing the only two blues songs she
knew (one of which was Etta James', " Tell Mama" ). She was asked
to perform when the featured artist couldn't make it one night. This
was when the singing bug really grabbed her!
THEODIS
EALEY
Theodis
began his career in music at the early age of 13, when his brother
Y.Z. and Melvin Ealey discovered at the last moment that they were
without a bass player. Both thought for a moment and came to the same
conclusion. Theodis knows all our songs and plays bass. That night
he made his first stage appearance at the Horseshoe Circus in his
hometown of Natchez, Mississippi. He performed with his brothers for
several years until Melvin decided to move to California. Today, he's
standing up in it all around the world.
CHICK
WILLIS
Cousin
to the late blues ballad singer Chuck Willis, Robert "Chick" Willis
is primarily beloved for his ribald, dozens-based rocker "Stoop Down
Baby." The guitarist cut his original version in 1972 for tiny La
Val Records of Kalamazoo, MI, selling a ton of 45's for the jukebox
market only (the tune's lyrics were way too raunchy for airplay).
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