ROY ROGERS - Americana/Roots, Blues Rock, Country Blues, Traditional Blues

Early on, Roy discovered his love for the blues and slide guitar... and for making music that's "deep and funky."

the early years

Born in Redding, California in 1950, Roy began playing guitar at twelve years old. A year later, at age 13, he was performing in a rock 'n' roll band that wore gold lamé jackets and played Little Richard and Chuck Berry tunes. He discovered the great blues players early on, especially when his older brother brought home an album by Robert Johnson. Thus began his love of the blues. Slide guitar in particular had an immediate effect on Roy, who was indeed named after the King of the Cowboys. Through the years, he developed a distinctive style of playing slide guitar that not only emerged over time, but also became instantly recognizable.

the 60s

During the 1960s Rogers frequented San Francisco’s rock clubs, where he saw many of the blues greats who inspired him. 

THE 70S

Roy performed with various groups until 1976, when he and harmonica player David Burgin formed an acoustic duo and recorded the album Rogers And Burgin: A Foot In The Door for Waterhouse Records. They also played on the One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest movie soundtrack before parting ways. Rogers then formed his own band in 1980, the Delta Rhythm Kings, hit the club circuit, played a few more movie and television gigs, and toured Europe with the 1982 San Francisco Blues Festival Revue (recording an album with that Revue in Paris). 

the 80s

In 1985, Rogers released his first solo album, Chops Not Chaps, on his own label. The record received widespread radio play and was nominated for a W.C. Handy Award. In 1987, Blind Pig Records released his second solo album, Slidewinder, which includes fantastic duets with Hooker and New Orleans piano great Allen Toussaint, as well as songs with his own band. Rave reviews in the national press and extensive radio play followed, further enhancing Roy's growing reputation. Roy's third solo album, Blues On The Range, was also issued on Blind Pig and continued to earn him new fans of his incredible slide guitar, arranging, and songwriting skills following its release in 1989.

Shortly after returning from Europe, Rogers was asked to join John Lee Hooker's Coast to Coast Blues Band. During his four years touring with Hooker as a featured guitarist/vocalist, Rogers established a strong personal and professional relationship with the venerated blues legend. Said Hooker, "I just can't say enough good things about Roy. He plays so good. Some of the best slide I've heard, best blues I've heard. He gets real deep and funky, and he masters whatever he plays." Near the end of his tenure in Hooker's band, Roy began to open shows as a solo act, giving him a chance to perform some of the classic country blues and original compositions he'd been perfecting for years. Rogers then went on to produce four of John Lee Hooker’s most historically significant recordings: "The Healer", "Mr. Lucky", "Boom Boom", and "Chill Out", with some tracks involving co-producer credits with Ry Cooder and Van Morrison.

THE 90S

Roy played on the soundtrack for the 1990 film The Hot Spot, which he recorded with Miles Davis, John Lee Hooker, and Taj Mahal, and which garnered a Grammy nomination. In 1991, Rogers hooked up with another Bay Area artist, harmonica virtuoso and vocalist Norton Buffalo, to produce the highly acclaimed release R & B. The album is a true American array of acoustic tunes, from blues to ballads, and captures the incredible chemistry of these powerful performers. The cut “Song For Jessica” received a Grammy Award nomination in 1991 and another track, "Ain't No Bread In The Breadbox", was made into a performance video which received airplay on many outlets, including The Nashville Network.

The duo came back in 1992 with the Blind Pig release Travellin' Tracks, which features live performances as well as studio tracks where Rogers and Buffalo are joined by a rhythm section on several cuts. The dynamic interplay between the pair is undeniable and the release furthered the artists’ already outstanding reputations.

The 2000s

The 2000s have been a VERY productive recording period for Roy, greatly expanding his collaborations with other artists as well as his own solo recordings. In 2002, he recorded a final album with Norton Buffalo titled Roots of our Nature.  Two years later, he released his first-ever live recording of his own band, featuring some very special guests (the video of which became part of the PBS TV series Music Gone Public). The self-released Everybody's Angel was recorded with Shana Morrison, who toured with Roy extensively in the early 2000s. In 2006, Roy collaborated with Reidar Larsen for a release of The Crossing in Norway. In 2009, he recorded Split Decision for Blind Pig records. Roy then teamed up with keyboardist Ray Manzarek, and together they produced three recordings in eight years: Ballads Before the Rain, Translucent Blues, and Twisted Tales. The duo soon formed a full band and toured across the U.S. and in Europe. Rogers and Manzarek’s collaboration and friendship were wonderfully captured in the 2017 documentary film Third Mind Blues. Roy's 2015 release Into the Wild Blue proves he and The Delta Rhythm Kings are at the top of their game. StringShot, Rogers’ additional band formed in 2015, features renowned Brazilian guitarist Badi Assad and harpist/violinist extraordinaire Carlos Reyes; their self-titled album debuted in August of 2018.