Hall of Fame

2021 Inductees

Singer, Musician, Producer, Paris Clayton was born in 1946 and started playing professionally in 1962. Since then he’s played over 5000 gigs and made hundreds of recordings. His early childhood was spent in Tyler, Texas and his family eventually moved north up Rt 66 to St. Louis and Chicago.

As a child he studied piano and drums, followed by guitar and bass, learning from his Dad’s large record collection of Blues and Jazz. In 1962 he had a chance meeting with a member of The Vibrations, a working blues band, and his knowledge of Chicago blues got him a place in the band. He worked three or four nights a week all through high school and college. In St. Louis he led his own group, as well as playing bass for local legends Albert King, Henry Townsend, and Chuck Berry. In 1968 he signed with manager Irving Azoff and toured for the next 10 years. headlining on the college and concert circuit and opening for bands like The Who and The Eagles.
 
In 1978 Paris moved to Los Angeles and worked there for the next 20 years as a session singer and musician, honing his skills as a recording engineer by working in various studios.

In the 80’s, after playing in the Los Angeles Blues scene for a while, he was asked to put together a band to back up Willie Dixon, John “Juke” Logan, William Clarke, and other artists for a series of fund raising concerts., This led to a friendship with Willie Dixon, who got him involved with the Blues in the Schools program in L.A.
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In 1999 Paris moved to Sacramento and immediately got involved with the Sacramento Blues Society, where his solo CD “Hip Trash - Blues, Soul, and Rock and Roll” was released.

Over the next 20 years he played with his own band and many local groups, and became a founding member of the Sacramento Blues Revue.

Working as a Producer, Paris has recorded many CD’s for local artists and won Sacramento Blues Society’s Best Self-Produced CD for “There’s a Party Goin’ On”.
 
Paris has worked extensively with the SBS’ local Blues in the Schools projects, giving lectures at High Schools in Sacramento and Yolo counties and after school band programs. He produced the CD “Life”, which used lyrics written by the students who had been encouraged to write Blues songs. The sales were used to raise funds for BITS.

Paris’ contributions to the Blues genre have been greatly instrumental in the success of the BITS program.

Mindy Giles has 40+ years in the music business in artist management, record labels, publicity, marketing and being an event promoter in three cities-- Chicago, New Orleans, and Sacramento. She is a 39-year voting member of The Recording Academy.
 
Her part-time jobs from age 16 through college were in record shops, including Discount Records in Bloomington, Indiana which led her to become an assistant manager at a new store in Chicago. A week later, her first free ticket was the 1974 PBS taping, “Muddy Waters & Friends: Blues Summit In Chicago” featuring Muddy, Willie Dixon, Junior Wells, Pinetop Perkins, Koko Taylor, Johnny Winter, Dr. John, Mike Bloomfield, Nick Gravenites, Bob Margolin, and Jerry Portnoy.
 
Beginning in 1977, she was with Polygram (Midwest Marketing Director); Alligator Records (Vice President-North American booking, Marketing, Publicity); Rounder Records (Marketing Director) and Black Top Records (Marketing/Publicity Director).
 
Mindy co-executive produced albums with Lonnie Mack and Stevie Ray Vaughan, produced an album with Maria Muldaur, has written bios, liner notes, provided photographs, and is the author of the book, REALLY THE BLUES (1996, Woodford Publishing). She has written for Pulse! Magazine, Blues Revue, Blues Access, Big City Blues and Sacramento News & Review. 
 
Mindy has managed/project-managed the careers of great blues and roots music artists including Albert Collins, Lonnie Mack, Koko Taylor, Son Seals, Lonnie Brooks, Johnny Winter, Big Shoulders, James Harman, Robert Ward, Earl King, Maria Muldaur, Markus James, Terry Hanck, and HowellDevine. 
 
In 1997 Tower Records brought her to Sacramento to be Marketing Director for Bayside Entertainment Distribution, overseeing marketing for 200+ labels.
 
In 2001 she oversaw the unknown artist Jackie Greene, guiding his national breakthrough by handling publicity, retail marketing and radio airplay. She booked him to open for Susan Tedeschi, Los Lobos and BB King, and then signed Greene to Monterey International Booking Agency.
 
In 2004, Mindy and Steve Nikkel co-founded Swell Productions, and have brought national talent to Sacramento like Trombone Shorty, JD McPherson, Eric Bibb, The Carolina Chocolate Drops, Nick Gravenites, and others.
 
In 2013-2014, she booked main stage headliners for the annual Sacramento Music Festival and produced the annual Isleton Cajun & Blues Festival. 
 
In 2016, she began working with the Sacramento Blues Society BLUES IN THE SCHOOLS Program, including co-producing the "Out of the Box" Community Festival and in 2018 became the SBS publicist/Events Chair.
Since 2017, Mindy has been producing a popular weekly live concert series “Blues & Bourbon Wednesdays" at the Starlet Room, featuring national, regional, and local blues/roots music artists.

Sally Katen is a woman who gets things done! In 1999, Sally was diagnosed with breast cancer and along with Marina Texeira, owner of the Torch Club, decided to produce a Blues show at the Torch Club to generate funds for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, which helps newly diagnosed women with breast cancer. Sally and Marina brought together local Blues bands and a headliner from the Bay area. All the participating acts volunteered their time and talent for a day of live blues music for this worthy cause. This fund raiser became an annual event for seven years under Sally and Marina’s direction. There were CD’s made from the live shows entitled “Blues for the Cure.”

Sally has served on the SBS Board of Directors and as Board Secretary from 2006 to 2010, at which time she asked then President, Willie Brown, if she could take over the Hall of Fame. Eleven years later under her direction and leadership, the Hall of Fame has formed a special committee and become a gala event, eagerly anticipated and
recurring annually.

Sally rejoined the Board of Directors in 2015, and beginning in 2020 through the current year of 2021 has served as SBS President. In addition to the Presidency and chairing the Hall of Fame Committee, over the past year she has also taken charge of SBS merchandise and volunteers. The Sacramento Blues Society is fortunate and honored to have Sally’s continuing dedication to keeping the Sacramento blues scene alive!

Sacramento Blues singer Bobby “Blues” Ray began performing professionally in 1962 when he was 16 years old after moving here from Croesset, Arkansas. He loved gospel music and became a member of the choir at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church in North Sacramento. Early music influences included Sam Cooke and Bobby Blue Bland. 

Sacramento in the 60’s had an abundance of live music venues, talented musicians, and an explosion in popular music tastes making for a unique, unprecedented, and rich time in our musical history. Bobby Ray would sit in and sing at every opportunity afforded him.

In 1972, Bobby got the break of a lifetime, one that would cement his future. He was asked to open for B.B. King, and Bobby “Blue” Bland at Memorial Auditorium. The promoter loved how Ray fit in and afterward dubbed the trio; the “King, the Premier, and the Knight of the Blues”. The nickname stuck and was used as his latest CD title.

Afterward, Ray played gigs up and down California, opening for artists like Lowell Folsom, Jimmy McCracklin, Albert King, Muddy Waters, Buddy Ace, and Johnny Heartsman. He recorded a single Soul Pt. 1 during this time and later an LP was cut titled Bobby “Blues” Ray, Live Vol. 1, at Melarkey’s in 1989.
Ray was a regular at numerous music venues that were part of the music scene at that time. He performed at the Heritage Festival, Jazzman’s Art of Pasta, Po’ Boyz Sports Bar, Access TV, and many others. He loved attending community events like the Sacramento Blues Society’s Blues in the Schools program with Guitar Mac and Peppermint Harris, Bobby loves the richness, diversity, history, and relaxed climate of the Sacramento’s music scene.  

As with all musicians, his career was a series of pronounced ups and downs. His low point took place 10 years ago when he was sitting at a local club when the DJ played one of his songs. .He overheard a patron ask the bartender, “Whatever happened to Bobby Ray?” He was stunned to hear him answer, “He died a long time ago”.  
One of his high points was when he was invited to play with Lavay Smith and the Red Hot Skillet Lickers. After that, Ray was inspired to cut his newest CD Bobby “Blues” Ray, Blues Knight of the West Coast.


Bobby is indeed alive and well and is deeply honored to be inducted into the SBS’ Hall of Fame.

As a young guitarist in 1983, Greg Roberts met and soon after was mentored by Legendary Johnny "Guitar" Knox, whose "less is more" ideology Greg felt was an important step in learning traditional blues, especially during a time of over the top blues rock guitarists. This was around the same time Greg picked up the upright bass and was soon backing Johnny busking and playing clubs. He also appeared on Johnny's 1991 live recording 'Hoboin'. 

In the early 90's Greg played in an 8-piece swing band called Spider Smith & The Sinister Seven and soon after founded The Hucklebucks with Spider’s guitarist Robert Sidwell, along with Doug Crumpacker and Bill Larock. He also played with The Chrome Addicts during that time, including a tour of Moscow in the late 90's. In the Bay Area, Greg was often found playing with Rusty Zinn and R.J. Mischo, and In Seattle founded the Maxwell Street Revivalists. Greg has backed many touring veterans of the blues, including Lazy Lester, Honeyboy Edwards, and Little George Sueref. He gigged with Kim Wilson, Nathan James, James Harman, and other great Southern California musicians while in San Diego. Once he returned to Sacramento he began backing many great local musicians, which included Ray “Catfish” Copeland, Andy Santana, Kyle Rowland, Leo Bootes and others, on both guitar and bass. 

Greg’s most recent project is The Harold Sessions Trio with longtime friend and bassist, Ronnie James Weber.

In 1938, midway between San Antonio and Houston in the back woods of Texas, is where Charles Washington was born into a family that worked in the fields of cotton, corn and other crops under the Texas sun. Most of the Blues’ music he listened to came from small local bands, a radio station out of Tennessee, and albums he listened to as much as he could as he was growing up. Soon some local stations in the area started a Blues Hour, which increased his scope of obtaining Blues music. Radio was his main source of Blues music and he watched the Blues give birth to R&B, Rock & Roll and other genres of music.

Sadly, around graduation from high school, the family’s house burned down, so he ended up back in the fields chopping cotton. Realizing he wanted more for his life, he joined the Air Force and was with the military for over 20 years. He enjoyed his time in the service and was able to build a life and start a family. Of course, he listened to the Blues as much as he could while in the service. 

Once out of the service, he and his family settled in Sacramento. He was able to track down where to hear live Blues music in the area and would take his family to some of the local spots like, a pizza joint in Old Sacramento, to hear music whenever they could. Charles wanted to be part of the Blues music community, so he joined the Sacramento Blues Society shortly after it formed. Phil Givant was leading the Society and Charles became an active member, working events and serving on committees and the Board. Charles was President for three full terms (1991-1992, 1996-1997, 1998-1999), Vice President for two terms, and Parliamentarian. 
After Phil’s passing, the Society started on a bit of decline and almost folded. However, thanks to Derek Washington’s motivation, Derek, Demouy Williams, “Guitar Mac” and Charles got together and held a Sunday event with Guitar Mac headlining, thereby resurrecting the SBS. 


Charles states “It’s a refreshing and loving feeling to see the Sacramento Blues Society still alive in Sacramento. I am grateful to be part of the Hall of Fame and will forever be proud of being part of such a wonderful organization.” 

Blues bassist Ronnie James Weber has ascended to the top of his field and is now one of the most respected and in-demand players of both the electric and the stand-up acoustic bass in the country. 


His career began in earnest when he joined the band of Blues harp virtuoso Mark Hummel in the early 1990’s.  With Hummel, Ronnie got the opportunity to back many of the living masters of Chicago Blues, including Muddy Waters' guitarist Jimmy Rogers, Billy Boy Arnold, Luther Tucker, and Snooky Pryor. Before long, Ronnie had made a strong impression on some high profile players on the contemporary Blues scene and was recruited into the Fabulous Thunderbirds’ front man Kim Wilson's solo Blues project. Almost immediately after, Ronnie was hired to join one of the hardest working bands in Blues, Little Charlie & The Nightcats, spending the better part of a decade touring the world and recording with them for Alligator Records. As a member of that band, he also backed John Hammond on the Grammy nominated CD "Long As I Have You". 

In addition, Ronnie has played and recorded with numerous other artists, including Rusty Zinn, Chicago blues legend Dave Myers, Kim Wilson, and many others. In 2001, he was hired by Kim Wilson to join The Fabulous Thunderbirds, a band he toured the world with for many years. 

Ronnie’s move to Austin in 2005 led him straight to accepting Jimmie Vaughan’s offer of joining his Tilt-a-Whirl band after he was hired to play bass on Jimmie and Omar Dykes’ band The Jimmy Reed Highway. Ronnie played on Jimmie’s CD “Blues, Ballads, And Favorites”, and its sequel, “More Blues, Ballads, And Favorites”; both of which were nominated for a Grammy award. During his 10 years in Austin he also played with Gary Clark Jr., including Gary’s showcase for Warner Brothers, who signed him. He also appeared in an episode of the TV show Friday Night Lights with Gary.

In 2009 Ronnie was hired by the legendary Booker T. Jones for his American and European tours supporting his album “Potato Hole”. Since returning to Sacramento in 2015, Ronnie has been freelancing, touring often with McKinley James out of Nashville and recording the 2018 Blues Music Awards’ Best Traditional Blues Album with Michael Ledbetter and Mike Welch called “Right Place, Right Time”.  

You can find Ronnie playing locally at The Torch Club often with Aaron King, The Hucklebucks, and most recently his new project, The Harold Sessions Trio.

James Winegan fell in love with the Blues as a sophomore in high school. It was the heartfelt life stories put to mesmerizing rhythms that sparked the flame in him. He idolized Jimmy Reed, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, and Junior Wells, so he taught himself to play harmonica in 1967 at Vanden High School in Fairfield, California.

While on a football scholarship at Santa Clara University in 1969, James would hang out at the Keystone Corner Clubs in Palo Alto and Berkeley, and where he met the great John Lee Hooker. He strategically managed to meet John Lee in the bathroom, and who was gracious enough to let James try out right there! After playing a few riffs John told him he could sit in and after the gig, that any time James was at the club, he could play. Later James was invited to practice with John Lee at his record shop in Oakland and whenever he could get away from college, James would go on the road with him.
James later relocated to Sacramento, where he met Derek Washington and Marshall Jones. James started his first band with Washington called the Blues Crusaders, later to be renamed the Bluesaders. When the lead vocalist got put in jail, James found himself singing lead, although he was terribly shy and terrified. As time passed, he was later picked up by the Dave Bonds band and then the band Everyday People. He was also vocalist and harmonica player for the Johnny Heartsman band and traveled to Europe several times with that band. James also played with Lowell Folsom and Omar the Magnificent, aka Omar Sharriff aka Dave Alexander.


The Blues scene in Sacramento then was much more vibrant than it is now. There were so many places to play, such as the Dixieland Jazz Festival, the Sacramento Blues Festival with Phil Givant, and at Sam’s Hof Brau on J Street where he was the house band for a few years. In addition, James played for Producer Mike Balma in many Heritage Festivals and numerous bars and clubs in Sacramento. 

As time passed, James began recording samples for rap musicians, which he continues to this day. James says “Time and music continue to evolve, but the Blues will always be the root of all music. May the Blues live on!”