Bob Jones
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Inducted 2024 Bio

Bob Jones’ musical journey began at an early age of 13, and by age 17 he had learned piano and organ and began performing at various venues. He joined the band “Chameleon” at 19 and began touring with them in Hawaii and other states.  The following year the band was renamed “The Real Thing” and toured British Columbia, Canada, and later Japan.

In between, Bob had mastered electronics courses and earned an AA degree, eventually working for Atari, testing parts for the space shuttle.  He leveraged his electronics expertise to build his own Polyphonic Synthesizer from discarded parts, creating a personal instrument at a lower cost.
In 1986, Bob relocated from the Bay Area to Sacramento, furthering his career by playing with notable musicians and opening for such legends as BB King and Kris Kristoffersen on the “Chitlin’ Circuit”.

​He then was musical director for the Temptations Motown Review in Las Vegas for three years, which culminated in creating his own band “Bob Jones and the Chosen Few” in 2011, thus becoming a fixture in the Sacramento and Bay Area to this day,

DANA MORET
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Inducted 2024 Bio

wDana Moret has volunteered for SBS for over two decades. When she first began, she performed at her family’s nightclub Constable Jacks at just 17 years old. Along with the Constable Jacks family, she helped organize and perform at the Placer County SPCA BBQ & Blues Festival for many years. She then began to organize and perform at the SBS Women Sing the Blues event on several occasions throughout the years.
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In addition to composing songs in collaboration with Tim Barnes of the band Stoneground, she joined the Mick Martin and the Blues Rockers band and her cowritten song "Way Down South" (Written with Frankie Lee Band Leader, Tim Brisson) was the title of one of the band's best-selling albums of that decade. She then went on to form Mr. December with her husband Jimmy Pop which was a local favorite for over 15 years. In 2016, she was invited to join legendary Bay Area band Lydia Pense & Cold Blood, where she can be seen today. Her latest project Zenn Vudu, which she formed with Cold Blood band leader Steve Dunne, showcases the decades long songwriting abilities of both artists.
In addition to a short stint of service on the SBS board, Dana has lent her event coordination, graphic design and networking skills to many SBS projects over the years. With a soft spot for the Blues in the Schools project, she has helped her SBS peer bands in booking shows and was the initiator of the Blue Sunday events. In her six years as promotor & booker for Quarry Park Amphitheater in Rocklin, CA, she often booked SBS bands to open for headlining acts and other various community events in Placer County. Dana continues to increase her vocal talents and continues to mature her style for a cross generational audience.

DANNY SANDOVAL 

Inducted 2024 Bio

Danny Sandoval grew up in San Pablo, California and started playing saxophone at the age of eight.  When he was in high school, he discovered the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts in Richmond, California, where he was able to explore his passion and dreams of becoming a professional jazz saxophonist.  He started playing semi-professionally when he was sixteen, playing in the Central Valley and Bay area, and continues to perform there. By the age of 17, Danny was playing up to five nights a week in San Francisco, paying his way through college.  Over the course of his training, Danny has had the honor of studying with Tony Archimedes, Frank Sumares and Mel Martin, all esteemed musicians. 

In playing the saxophone, Danny expresses all emotions and inner passions that are discernible in the audience responses. He continues to rise professionally in having played with such notables as the Sista Monica Band, Mick Martin’s Big Blues Band, the Terrie Odabi band, many local bands, and his own Danny Sandoval and the Amigos.  He is actively involved in touring, recording and playing live jazz, blues, soul, funk and salsa.  His repertoire is outstanding!

Kyle Rowland

Inducted 2024 Bio

Kyle Rowland is the youngest member of the SBS Hall of Fame, having played on stage with Mick Martin when he was merely 11 years old. It seemed natural, since his parents had placed a harmonica next to him in his crib when he was first born.  
In adolescence, Kyle quickly and naturally developed his own sound. With help from a few of his heroes through the years, such as James Cotton, Lazy Lester,  Hubert Sumlin, Matt “Guitar” Murphy, Billy “Boy” Arnold, Henry Gray and many others, he learned specific techniques of stage presence, the music business, and several highly revered harmonica secrets. 

In August 2022, Kyle signed an endorsement deal with Hohner Harmonicas, the brand he has proudly played since the beginning. In January 2024, he was chosen to represent the Sacramento Blues Society to compete as a solo artist at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee, where he placed in the semi-finals.

Tim Barnes
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Inducted 2024 Bio

 Timothy Warren Barnes (Tim)  must have been born under a lucky star on May 13, 1949. When he was 18, his mother Sylvia's vocal coach, the world-renowned Judy Davis, introduced him to music entrepreneur Tom Donahue, whose many accomplishments included pioneering underground radio and being the mastermind behind the Beau Brummels (the Bay Area band that grafted itself onto the British Invasion). The latter fell apart, and Barnes was tapped to play his unique blend of blues and rock guitar behind vocalist Sal Valentino in a 10-piece musical caravan called Stoneground. When the mercurial Valentino left, Barnes joined forces with Jo Baker ("Rockbottom") of Elvin Bishop Band fame to create a second distinct version of the band. That, too, ran its illustrious course. Barnes met Sacramento bass player Steve Schofer and found himself succeeding Ray "Catfish" Copeland in the Blue Flames. Rechristened the Fabulous Flames, it rocked and R&B-ed hard until flaming out. This led Barnes and Schofer into a 20-year collaboration with Sacramento's and Hall of Famer Mick Martin and his band the Blues Rockers, recording over 20 CDs, touring worldwide and winning multiple awards. Locally, the band's appearances at the California State Fair, the Sacramento Music Festival in Old Sacramento and local venues made them a staple of the '90s and early 2000s. Currently, Barnes is collaborating with SBS Hall of Famer Angel Reyes on new ventures.

Frank Dupree
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Inducted 2023 Bio​

Frank Dupree, born and raised in Knoxville, TN, left home at 17 to join the military. Music was always at the forefront of his life even when there wasn’t anything to be found on the radio.
 
Frank played piano in the church and learned all he could by his own means – records provided his music education, Jimmy Smith in particular. While stationed in Honolulu, Frank had access to an organ at the YWCA, still self-taught,  and went on to earn an AA degree in music theory and composition. While in Hawaii, he drew from the local talent – Don Ho, Arthur Lyman, and Boby Lester.
 
Upon being discharged from the military in Mather Air Base, Frank decided to stay in Sacramento and established his first band there, a trio called The Operators, which got him through a two-year course in Nursing School. Many players would come and go in this trio but the main players were Rich Yarison, drums and James Olsen (deceased) guitar and sax, playing at the Tia Maria, Crow’s Nest, Los Robles, Ramada Inn and other places  Following this trio, Frank formed another band called the Mid-day Moon, again with many players coming and going, but John Lamiell on sax and JJ Funderburk (deceased) were key players, continuing to play at various Sacramento locations that no longer exist. 
 
Frank states “My sincerest appreciation of the blues happened as I migrated to the band playing with John Heartsman (HOF 2008). There was a pulse to my music I had not explored yet and thanks to John, I was able to do this.”  Several years accrued with their playing together at venues like the Monterey Blues Festival, Harrah’s Tahoe, the San Francisco Blues Festival, and the infamous Sam’s Hof Brau…and the list goes on.

Beth Reid-Grigsby​

Inducted 2023 Bio​

Born and raised in Santa Barbara, and influenced by her family’s love of the blues, Beth Reid-Grigsby had her first singing appearance on stage at the Bluebird Café in Santa Barbara in 1977.
 
She and husband RW Grigsby, bass player and HOF inductee 2018, moved to Sacramento in 1992, where Beth photographed several local artists, including The Hucklebucks and Screaming Dave Wright and Serious Trouble, creating album covers for both in the mid to late 90’s. She photographed every one of Mark Hummel’s Blues Harmonica Blowouts from 2007 forward as well as two Blues Cruises and many road shows.
 
Beth started singing locally in 2002, mostly sitting in with such bands as The Hucklebucks and Johnny Guitar Knox, including performing with Johnny at the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee and various others. She sang in, booked, and managed the Keri Carr band for three years, singing backup and performing in the Sacramento region.
 
Beth started her band Red’s Blues in 2012 with the idea of featuring a special guest artist at each show. Their first show featured Aki Kumar at the legendary Torch Club in Sacramento. Red’s Blues has performed at the Sacramento Music Festival, the Cajun & Blues Festival, and continues to perform at the Torch Club and the Blues & Bourbon series at the Starlet in Sacramento, along with many others in the region as one of the most popular local bands. Red’s Blues has been nominated twice for the Sammies Awards, an awards program in Sacramento that recognizes local talent, and they have produced three successful CDs.
 
As a teacher and performer, Beth has given her talents to the SBS Blues In The Schools (BITS) program in 2022-2023 and has become a regular. According to the program director “the kids love her”.
 
As songwriter, lead singer, front woman, manager and booking agent for Red’s Blues, Beth contributes significantly to our local Blues community.

Angel Reyes
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Inducted 2023 Bio​

Angel Reyes was born and raised in Sacramento, California. His maternal grandfather and uncle both played guitars, singing and playing Mexican Folk songs.  Angel said, “As far back as I can remember, there has always been a guitar”. His early influences were the three Kings, B.B., Albert, and Freddy in addition to Earl King, Jr.

Angel is mostly self-taught with lessons early on in his development from Tiny Moore’s music teacher Skip Majora and later Mark Peirson from “The Working Class”.
Angel was the featured guitarist with R&B singer Sylvester in the early seventies in San Francisco, first with his group "Sylvester and the Hot Band " later forming another musical troupe which added vocalist Bianca Thorton, aka “Lady Bianca”. This band became very popular, having sell-out crowds every night at their regular gig at the Caberet Club, played the Whiskey A Go Go in December of 1974 in Los Angeles and the California Hall on Polk St. in San Francisco, headlining over Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks.
 
Angel has a long list of playing Blues with some of the greatest. He toured extensively throughout the Midwest, Canada, and the Pacific Northwest Regions with recording artists the Francisco Bros.  Angel has played with blues singer and Hammond organist “Glenn Lane and the Soul of the Blues”. For twelve years ending in December 2016, he played with Willie G and has played the Monterey Blues Festival backing up Delta guitar player Guitar Mac. With Mac he also has played the Mount Shasta Blues Festival and the California State Fair. Angel was featured in Vol. 3, Issue 6, Jan/Feb 2000 of the Official Jimi Hendrix magazine, “Experience Hendrix”.  He has also played at Eli's in Oakland, benefiting Sonny Rhodes, the Texas slide guitarist whose touring van caught fire while on tour in Florida.

Angel is currently doing session work and live performances with his own band “The Angel Reyes Band” with members guitarist Tim Barnes, Dwayne O'Neal on Bass,  and Ratta Tat Pat Balcom on Drums.

Jeff Hughson
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Inducted 2023 Bio​

A stalwart of the Sacramento music scene for many years, Jeff Hughson is recognized for his role in creating the Sacramento Blues Society along with Mick Martin and Phil Givant.  It was in 1979 at the Sacramento Blues Festival that producer Phil Givant, Mick Martin & Jeff asked the attendees who would be interested in establishing a Blues Society.  Many signed up and the first meeting was held shortly after, at which time Jeff was elected President.
 
Long before this, he was a record collector for many years, and his extensive collection of LPs includes the likes of Little Jimmy Reed, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, John Lee Hooker, and many more well-known Blues artists. He recounts how he would go to Tower Records and buy these now collector’s items for only a few dollars!  This led to new experiences of being a DJ on the radio.
 
He was a sixteen-year-old high school student doing the 2 am -6 am show on KXRQ (FM) weekdays, in addition to his Sunday morning Blues show.  Later, when he heard the station was being sold, he interviewed with the new owner and became a co-founder  (his record collection became much of the station library!) and the first Music Director of the new station, now called KZAP.  “I graduated from (Sacramento) High School in June of 1968, and I went to work at the end of July.”  One of the first free-form radio stations in America, the now-legendary KZAP is the central touchstone in an upcoming film documentary, “Free-Form, Baby!”.  Jeff is the Executive Producer of this film.
 
Collecting, learning, and research continued, and his knowledge and production skills expanded.
 
Many of the Blues shows in Sacramento were produced by Jeff on behalf of the SBS, including outdoor events in William Land Park and at various venues around town.  Tootsie’s in Old Sacramento was a favorite where admission was only three dollars most times and featured local bands along with big name Blues artists like the Robert Cray Band with Curtis Salgado, Charlie Musselwhite, Luther Tucker, and others.  Shows were held there two times a week and in all Jeff’s tenure more than 40 concerts were produced.

Pinkie Rideau​
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Inducted 2023 Bio​

Pinkie Rideau, known as the “Wailin’ Lil’ Cajun” by many, was born in San Francisco and relocated to the Sacramento area from Brown’s Valley. She credits her late parents Joseph and Adele Rideau with instilling the love of music in her. Since 1982, her musical efforts have centered around Sacramento and Northern California, subsequently becoming a major female voice in the Sacramento Blues Music scene. In 2005, she began hosting local Blues jams with her band and in 2008 she traveled to Memphis with guitarist Ron Cook to represent the Sacramento Blues Society in the International Blues Challenge, a Blues Foundation event open to the best musicians world-wide. Pinkie also gives her talent and time to the SBS Blues in the Schools program, where she has become a favorite with students and teachers alike at school assemblies.
 
Pinkie is not only a talented Blues musician/vocalist but a writer, producer, and philanthropist. Having dealt bravely with her own personal medical issues, she is a constant voice in the effort to help those that need a hand. One of Pinkie’s rules for performing in her band is the willingness to perform at benefit and charity gigs. Because, with a grin, Pinkie said “It keeps ya legal!”
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Over the past two decades, Pinkie has performed with and opened for numerous artists, a few of which include Bobby Bland, Mavis Staples, Betty LaVette, Bonnie Raitt, Dave Mason, Kim Wilson, Bruce Willis, Ronnie Montrose, Christ Cain, and others. She most recently joined the Mick Martin Big Blues Band, where they performed, along with other local musicians, a History of the Blues stage production written by Nan Mahon.

Leigh Lunetta
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Inducted 2022 Bio​

It’s been said the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and in this family, definitely a truism.
Leigh A. Lunetta was born July 18, 1959, and began taking music lessons from his father, Stanley Lunetta, at the age of five. Stan Lunetta was a percussionist, composer, sculptor, and well-known Sacramento Music Circus contributor for more than 50 years.
 
Leigh’s first professional gig as a drummer was when he was 12 years old, which was the beginning of a long and illustrious career of becoming proficient in playing a wide variety of genres of music, allowing his skills to be utilized in various venues and studios locally and in the Bay Area as well as Southern California. Leigh had the pleasure of playing with International Blues artists Johnny Heartsman and Frankie Lee, both of whom settled in Sacramento, other local Blues musicians Omar Sharriff and Jimmy Pailer (all HOF members), as well as many other well-known artists.
 
Leigh contributed his talents by working with the Blues In The Schools (BITS) program with Mick Martin and other musicians, performing in school assemblies. He continues to work the club scene, festivals, and other local venues.
 

Chris Fraire
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Inducted 2022 Bio​

​Christopher “Chris” Fraire is a native, Northern California bassist, who has been living and breathing blues for over 50 years. Born to humble beginnings in the artists’ melting pot of Berkeley, Chris was born into music, and had it pumping through his veins early on. His grandfather, Pete Fraire, a notable Hawaiian style slide guitarist, who went on to teach guitar later in life; and his uncle, Gilbert Fraire, bassist for the Merced Blue Notes (of American Bandstand fame), served as his first true influences. As a child, Chris would watch them at various shows and special events, and knew even then that was what he was destined to do.
Like most kids growing up through the 60s, Chris listened to The Beatles and The Stones, which eventually led him to be influenced by English blues rockers like: Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, John Mayall, and Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac. Later, he would learn of Johnny Winter, who changed his course and gravitated him to American Blues artists like: Freddy King, B.B. King, and Muddy Waters.
Over the span of Chris’s lifetime, his career would lead him to work with many leaders in the industry. Some notable mentions include: working with the Merced Blue Notes, performing with Steve Shelton backing JJ Malone, and playing with J. Wood & the Blues Commandos, where they backed up the likes of heavy hitters such as Charlie Musselwhite. Later in his career, some of Chris’s shining moments as an artist include performing multiple tours across Canada with Frankie Lee, being a proud member of the Arbess Williams Band for several years, along with recording on her LP, and most recently, fulfilling a life-long dream of being featured on a movie track (Under the Palm Tree).
Chris is best known for the distinct way he wears his heart on his strings, and plucks soul from every chord. He continues to be a powerful force in the world of Blues with no end in sight.

Chris Martinez

Inducted 2022 Bio​

Chris Martinez has had a long career based in the Blues, pulling together his own style of acoustic to ragtime, to bottleneck, and continuing into electric players, starting with The Three Kings (Albert, B.B. and Freddie). His father’s Texas influence prevailed, drawing Chris to players like Lightnin’ Hopkins, Billy Gibbons, Anson Funderburgh, and of course Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan. This led to Chris’ long-running Blues trio “Hollywood Texas,” which was started in the early 90s.
 
It was upon various day trips for gigs in San Francisco at the Saloon and the Grant and Green, that Chris met Johnny Nitro, a well-respected musician in the Bay Area, whom Chris quotes to this day “Keep it greasy, don’t get too polished and continue to play with other artists often.”
 
He’s played with bass players Andrew Browne (Beer Dawgs) & Jay Peterson (Little Charlie & the Nightcats); was often an opening act for Commander Cody, Jimmy Rogers, and many others; played Sam’s Hof Brau in Sacramento, jamming with Johnny Heartsman, Johnny “Guitar” Knox, Steve Samuels, Omar Sharriff (all HOF members) and other local greats. All of this led to backing Arbess Williams for two years, Guitar Mac another two after that; opening for Bobby “Blue” Bland, John Hammond, Albert Collins, Little Milton, and other internationally known Blues artists.
 
On NYE in 2008, guitarist James Papastathis asked Chris to join him, bassist Steve Schofer (Mick Martin), drummer Steve Price (Pablo Cruise) and vocalist Dana Moret (Lydia Pense) and form the band “Mr. December”, which became a popular favorite in Northern California. In 2010, Chris put together a new band called “Hollywood Texas Blues” with Sacramento drummer Pete Phillis, legendary organ player Kevin Burton (Joe Louis Walker), NYC jazz bassist Zach Westfall, and toured the lower United States for two years.
 
Chris joined the Katie Knipp band in 2019 and continues to tour with them.

Saxophone Zot

Inducted 2022 Bio​

Saxophone Zot got his first sax in 1954 while in the eighth grade and was reading charts in concert bands until 1962. He bought a Martin tenor sax, left college and joined Doug Brown and the Omens, a Pontiac, Michigan band that played from 9 pm to 2 am, six nights a week in a local club. During that period, Zot saw a sax player in Toledo, Ohio, who, when asked to play a tune, walked through the crowd and climbed up on the bar while people put money in his horn. That was a big inspiration for Zot, and he’s been a bar walker ever since. (Although, now at 81, he doesn't do that so much anymore.) He remembers playing at the club for just over two years, where the owner let Bob Seger and his underage band sit up front to watch. Bob was looking for a record deal and asked Zot to add sax to some demos making him Seger’s first sax player.
 
The Omens passed up a guaranteed record deal, so Zot left and moved to California in 1966. He did not play for 15 years. In 1978, Johnny "Guitar" Knox, left his partners Ray "Catfish" Copeland and Jimmy Morello (all HOF members) in charge of the Blue Flames. Three years later, Zot dropped into the Shanghai Saloon in Auburn one night to sit in with his sax and dazzled everyone there with his showmanship and his playing. He was made a full-time band member shortly afterward. A couple months later, tenor saxman Marty Deradoorian joined the band. In 1983, Copeland, Morello, Deradoorian, Zot and bassist Steve Schofer were joined by Tim Barnes, formerly of Stoneground. Copeland left to form Catfish & the Crawdaddies and the band changed its name to the Fabulous Flames, releasing a well-received album entitled "Rock 'n Roll with a Whole Lotta Soul."
 
Marty and Zot have been a horn section together for over 40 years, still teaming up as guests with blues bands in Northern California to add their distinctive touch of class.

John Noxon
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Inducted 2022 Bio​

John Noxon, a life-long musician, started playing keyboard in Rock and Blues bands in the sixties in the San Francisco Bay Area. He lived in Utah, Texas, and Nevada in the late 70s-80s and returned to Sacramento in the early 1990s.
 
John has been a long-time supporter of the Sacramento Blues Society, serving in various capacities as Vice-President, Newsletter Writer, Editor, and Events Chair for 10 years, all the while directing and back-lining eighty-seven profitable shows. He initially created and chaired both the SBS Hall of Fame and the Gene Chambers Emergency Musicians Fund in the early 90s. He has continued to support our Blues in the Schools (BITS) program with his generous donations of restored Hammond organs.
 
As a musician, he has played in bands opening for Jerry Garcia, Huey Lewis, Johnny Heartsman, Coco Montoya, Tommy Castro, Van Morrison's Band, Les Dudek, Billy Preston, Larry Graham, Maria Muldaur, Guitar Shorty and many others. In addition, he has performed with Daniel Castro, Elvin Bishop, Angila Witherspoon, Lara Price, Su Mac, Gary Mendoza, Mark Herin, Chris Martinez, Sacramento Blues Revue, Marshal Wilkerson, Grant Urias, Melonnee Desiree, Val Starr and Mick Martin. Noxon currently plays keys in the Tim Noxon Rockin' Blues Band.
 
John’s community spirit spilled into organizing, playing, and back-lining music for Sacramento Loaves and Fishes’ special events, most notably on Thanksgiving.
 
He is one of the few remaining keyboard technicians with Hammond & Leslie keyboard repair experience. Noxon’s keyboards are used at Greaseland; Tanglewood and King Tide Studios.

Paris Clayton

Inducted 2021 Bio​

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

Inducted 2021 Bio​

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

Inducted 2021 Bio​

​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!

Bobby “Blues” Ray

Inducted 2021 Bio​

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.

Greg Roberts
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Inducted 2021 Bio

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.

Charles Washington 

Inducted 2021 Bio​

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.” 

Ronnie James Weber

Inducted 2021 Bio​

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
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Inducted 2021 Bio​

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!”

​Leo Bootes
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Inducted 2019​  Bio

There is no doubt that Leo Bootes was born to perform.  When he picks up a guitar and steps center stage, he is confident, creative, and focused.  He may be playing slide guitar, bass, or singing, but people listen.

The son of a Filipino Merchant Marine and a Scots-Irish mother, Leo lived in Seattle until his mother brought him to Sacramento when he was in elementary school.

When he was 9 years old, someone gave Leo a cheap, old Sears Roebuck guitar with nylon strings.  He learned to tune it and play by listening to recordings of the great rock and blues guitarists of the day.  When he was 16, he left home to live on the streets of Sacramento and listen to local musicians like Johnny “Guitar” Knox.  The two formed a friendship and Knox became Leo’s teacher and mentor.  Crowds would gather when they sat outside Java City Café to practice.

Still in his teens, Leo joined with other young musicians to form a rock band named Fat Molly’s Kitchen.  The band got attention, playing up and down the California Coast.  Later, he gathered other groups such as The Southside Shuffle, and Low Down Dirty Dogs.  He spent 8 years with the Gary Mendoza Band and more recently playing pickup with other groups.

Leo believes it has always been his destiny to play the music he loves and his induction to the Sacramento Blues Society Hall of Fame proves that to be true.

Martin ‘Marty’ Deradoorian

Inducted 2019​  Bio

Martin “Marty” Deradoorian was born in Providence, Rhode Island and started playing professionally at age 19 with friend and band leader the great Jeffrey Osborne.  While in Providence he toured with the Fatman Wilson Revue on the East Coast and up into Canada and Nova Scotia.  He moved to San Francisco and played with Johnny Mars and Mike Henderson and backed up the great Albert Collins.  He moved to Sacramento and got his first gig with fellow inductee Gary “Wailin” Black.  Then he went onto Dave Bonds/Dave Rees band and was asked to join fellow HOF members Jimmy Morello and Ray “Catfish” Copeland to join The Blue Flames.  Marty then opened for and/or shared the stage with the following legends: Bobby”Blue” Bland, Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, Taj Mahal, James Cotton, Bo Diddly, Elvin Bishop, Lowell Folson, and Delbert McClinton, and is currently playing his sax with The Foxtrot Mary Revue and gratefully “guesting” with Red’s Blues as well as The Hucklebucks.

Kenny Marchese
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Inducted 2019​  Bio​

Blues guitarist Kenny Marchese began playing Blues in Sacramento 27 years ago in 1992 after seeing Little Charlie and the Night Cats at a Shasta County Blues Society Show.  Kenny was a part of the Shasta Blues Society in its inception, playing in local Blues bands in Redding.

In 1992, Kenny learned about two Blues Bars in Sacramento, The Torch Club, at 16th and L St, Sam’s Hof Brau located on J and 17th, and The Sutter Street Saloon located in Folsom.  He started making the drive on Wednesdays for the Johnny Heartsman and Johnny Knox Blues Jams.  The Torch Club and Sam’s became a familiar hang out and, in one of Kenny’s first times at a Sam’s blues jam; Robert Nakashima talked Kenny into playing for the first time in Sacramento with him.

Kenny became a regular from then on at these two great blues bars.  Bands such as Johnny Heartsman, Johnny “Guitar” Knox, Rusty Zinn, Mark Hummel, Arbess Williams, (usually with Pat Balcom on drums), the Soul Prophets, Glenn Lane, Bobby Blues Ray, Omar Sharriff, Smooth Lou and Jimmy Pailer, Lena Mosley with Gene Chambers and Al Arnett, Johnny Nitro and the Door Slammers, Screamin’ Dave and the Bowlevils, The Beer Dawgs, and Little Charlie and the Night Cats, amongst others, were the bands that kept him excited about the Sacramento Blues scene.

In 1992, Kenny’s band from Northern California Tommy Twang, was included in Sacramento’s first blues compilation CD “Sacramento Blues” produced by “Big” Mike Balma.  Kenny also continued to help the Shasta Blues Society book bands from the Sacramento area to their Northern California Blues Festivals in Redding, California.

In 1996, while at a jam hosted by The Hucklebucks at the Sutter Street Saloon, now known as The Power House Pub, band leader Doug Crumpacker asked Kenny to join his band after playing that night. Kenny then played with The Hucklebucks from 1996 to 1998, at times playing 15-20 dates a month in Sacramento, Chico, Davis and other areas in Northern California.  During this time Kenny became one of the dedicated students of the late Johnny “Guitar” Knox. To this day, Kenny still plays with The Hucklebucks.

Kenny played with many bands in the Sacramento area over the years, including Ray “Catfish” Copeland’s band Catfish and the Crawdaddies for about ten years, as well as Johnny Guitar Knox’s band for 4 years.  He played on and off with other local blues bands such as Bob Mora and the Third Degree Blues Band, Bobby Blues Ray, Gary Mendoza, and Dave Croall.  He currently plays with the Kyle Rowland Blues Band with whom he has been playing for the last ten years.

Kenny says “the most important thing about my time in the Sacramento Blues scene is the great people I’ve met and become friends with over the years”.

Robert Nakashima
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Inducted 2019​  Bio

Robert Nakashima first played guitar onstage at the old Club 400, a venerable Sacramento strip club that featured a blues jam session hosted by the legendary Johnny “Guitar” Knox.  As he did for so many younger players, Mr. Knox provided Robert with encouragement, guidance and mentorship at a crucial time.  The Blues scene in Sacramento in the mid-eighties was unusually vibrant and alive.  On any given night one could run into Johnny Heartsman, Gene Chambers, Marshall Jones, Al Arnett or any number of future Blues Hall of Fame members.  It was a welcoming, family-like atmosphere that nurtured young musicians regardless of race, nationality or experience and it was in this environment that Robert received his education in the Blues.

Shortly after that first taste, Robert joined the South City Cobras, a down-home aggregation led by harmonica ace Johnny Ayers.  Later in 1985, he formed The Soul Prophets with John Kwock and Anthony Brown.  Lightning struck one night when he met and became friends with explosive gospel and soul singer as well as future Hall of Fame member Marcel Smith.  The addition of Mr. Smith’s once-in-a-generation talents pushed the band to a higher level of creative power, culminating in the album “From the Old School” and a Sammie Award for Best Blues Band (an honor shared with Little Charlie and the Nightcats), both in 1993.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of “Big” Mike Balma, another Hall of Fame member, the original Soul Prophets reunited for a memorable show in 2010.

Gary “Whalin” Black

Inducted 2019​  Bio

Gary “Whalin” Black got his professional name back in 1968 when he joined a band called Rich Waylon.  The band never really caught on but Gary liked the name “Whalin” and kept it.  Shortly after, he joined a local group called St. George and the Dragons as the lead singer.  It wasn’t until another two years that he picked up the guitar.

Seems Gary had always been part of the blues scene in the late 60’s and back in 1970 – 1971.  When his number came up for the draft, he refused induction, which got him a two-year stint in minimum security prison.  A friend sent him an inexpensive guitar and when he was released, he came out quite a guitar phenomenon; “top of the class” according to Ray “Catfish” Copeland.  Gary also learned furniture upholstery and opened his own business “Good as Wood” where he would host after-hour parties when the bars closed.

He was part of the Sunland Blues Band with Nate “Snakeboy” Shiner, Johnny Nugget, Jerry Eddleman, Tony Montanino and Evan Jenkins.  Gary started the jams at the Press Club, where he played for over 3 years, and at the Torch Club.  He could sing anything and wasn’t limited by genre restraints.  He had the talent, history, and dedication for the Blues and was inextricably entwined in the Sacramento Blues scene.

Richard “RW” Grigsby

Inducted 2018 Bio

Richard “RW” Grigsby has a special relationship with Sacramento. He has moved here twice! In 1984 after a number of years of playing in Georgia bar bands, RW caught the blues bug when he took to the road with famed harmonica man Fingers Taylor from the Jimmy Buffet band. They toured from Jackson to New Orleans, Austin, Houston and Memphis. In 1988 Richard hooked up with Austin, TX  accordion star Ponty Bone’s Squeezetones. At one of Ponty’s gigs, RW met Carlene Carter of the legendary Carter Family. He toured with her through the summer of 1990 behind her top ten single, “I Fell in Love”. A three year stint with Austin harp man Gary Primich touring North America led RW to Sacramento playing at the old Sam’s Hofbrau in 1993. RW (AKA Guitar Grady) joined Dallas guitarslinger and Black Top recording/touring artist Mike Morgan & The Crawl in late 1993, but in 1995, headed for Sacramento. RW joined up with Sacramento mainstays The Hucklebucks. In the late 90’s they were playing 15-20 gigs a month. The road called again though, this time with New Orleans #1 harp man Johnny Sansone. More tours and a move back down south to Alabama until 2006 –when he headed back to Sacramento and got a call from California harmonica ace Mark Hummel. They’ve been working together for over a decade now. As a member of Mark’s ambitious Harmonica Blowouts, RW has backed up almost every major blues harp player in the U.S. including James Cotton, Charlie Musselwhite, Curtis Salgado, Billy Boy Arnold, Lazy Lester, Billy Branch, Mojo Buford, Willie Smith, Johnny Dyer, Rod Piazza, James Harman, Rick Estrin, Sugar Ray Norcia, RJ Mischo, Andy Santana and many more. Their 2013 CD, Remembering Little Walter was nominated for a Grammy and won two Blues Music Awards including Album Of The Year. The last several years, Mark’s project the Golden State-Lone Star Revue has been busy touring here in the states and overseas. Members have included Little Charlie Baty, Anson Funderburgh, Wes Starr, Mike Keller, Rusty Zinn, Mark Hummel–and of course, RW Grigsby, just nominated for the prestigious 2017 Blues Music Awards “BEST BASSIST.”

When RW is not on the road, he and wife Beth Reid-Grigsby( AKA Red) have Red’s Blues,  formed six years ago. You can find them playing in northern California with Dave Earl on guitar, SBS Hall of Famer Tim Wilbur on drums, RW on bass/vocals and Beth on lead vocals and fronting the band. Sometimes you can even find RW laying down the bottom with another SBS HOFer, Ray “Catfish” Copeland.

Two highly regarded recent albums, Red’s Blues and You Knock Me Out feature stellar originals from these two–and many outstanding special guests including Rusty Zinn, Rick Estrin, Anson Funderburgh, Kyle Rowland, Rockin’ Johnny Burgin, Mark Hummel, Mike Keller, Jon Lawton, Steve Freund, John Cocuzzi and Sacramento’s Johnny “Guitar” Knox.

Artis “AJ” Joyce

Inducted 2018 Bio

ANY bass player should go to school on Sacramento’s Artis “AJ” Joyce. In one jaw-dropping extended solo, he can seamlessly quote Cream’s Sunshine of Your Love” to Sly Stone’s “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” to “Mama’s Little Baby Loves Shortnin’ Bread” to Henry Mancini’s “Pink Panther” to the “Habanera“ from Bizet’s opera “Carmen.”

AJ is perhaps best-known for playing on Alligator Records releases by Charlie Musselwhite, beginning with the critically acclaimed Ace of Harps album in 1990, which marked the start of a new era for the legendary singer and harmonica player. Musselwhite was quoted as saying it was made by “the best band I’ve ever had.”

A big man with a big heart, he has toured North America and Europe, backing Musselwhite, Johnny Heartsman, Ron Thompson, Arbess Williams, Harvey Mandel, Little Milton, Sister Monica, Ron Hacker, Mick Martin, Leah Tysse, Alabama Mike and many more. He still makes it a point to come back home and volunteer to play numerous Northern California benefits. As he would say, PEACE!

Frankie Lee
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Inducted 2018 Bio

Longtime Sacramento resident Frankie Lee (Jones) was born in Mart, Texas. As a child, he sang gospel music in church. In 1963, he signed a recording contact with Peacock Records. Billed as Little Frankie Lee, he released three singles, including “Taxi Blues”, a regional hit and his best-known song. After living with his friend Sonny Rhodes in Austin, Texas, Lee was recruited by Ike Turner to join the touring ensemble backing Ike & Tina Turner. Lee then settled in Houston and worked with other musicians, including Big Mama Thornton, Ted Taylor, Junior Parker and Joe Hinton.

Lee befriended Albert Collins during this period, and in 1965, they both relocated to California, with Lee singing in Collins’s band from that time until 1968. In 1971, Lee was signed to Elka Records, and his cousin, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, produced Lee’s tracks. In the late 1970s, Lee’s backing ensemble included the young Robert Cray. His firstalbum, The Ladies and the Babies, was released by HighTone Records in 1984. The All music journalist Thom Owens noted that “as one of the first albums on HighTone Records, the album helped set the stage for the numerous records and artists that teetered between soul and blues.

Flying Fish Records released Lee’s second album, Sooner or Later (1992), on which he was backed by Doug Newby and the Bluz Blasters, with a guest appearance by Lucky Peterson. Going Back Home (1994) was released by Blind Pig Records.  Lee toured widely, playing at American music festivals and in Europe and Japan. Lee’s final album, Standing at the Crossorads, was released in 2006 by Blues Express. The album was produced by Dennis Walker, who had produced The Ladies and the Babies more than twenty years earlier. Lee settled in Sacramento and acted as a mentor to many local blues musicians, including Kevin Burton, Pete Phillis, Chris Frasier, Martin Holland, Joe Lev, Jim Voorhees, Bruce Bandura, Ridley Howe and Tim Brisson. He appeared at Mekarkey’s, Sam’s HoF Brau, Tootsie’s, the Palms Playhouse, the Torch Club, Mr. D’s, Boston’s, the Powerhouse Pub, the Sacramento Heritage Festival and the Sacramento Blues Festival, Lee died at the age of 73 at his Sacramento home.

Jimmy Morello
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Inducted 2018 Bio

A powerful vocalist and super-quick drummer, Jimmy Morello began playing drums at age 11 and formed his first band at 13. He fell in love with blues music after attending a blues revue concert in 1971 with Ray Charles, T-Bone Walker and Jimmy Reed. His Pittsburgh DJ friend introduced him to Louisiana Red who took a shine to Morello’s band Cold Steel. The began to work regular in Pittsburgh blues venues and hit the road playing Washington D.C. , Philadelphia, Boston areas.

Morello moved to Sacramento in 1980 and joined the Blue Flames with Ray ‘Catfish’ Copeland and Johnny Knox. Stayed with the Blue Flames from 1980-1988. Freelanced for several years with Bay Area and Sacramento Blues bands. Moved to Phoenix and played with Bill Tarsha’s Rocket 88’s from 1990-1993. In 1994 was signed with Rounder/Bullseye label with Pat Boyack and the Prowlers. Toured thru the US until 1997, when he returned to Northern California. Went on tour with Bob Margolin. The same year and got signed to JSP label out of England and put out 3 CD’s under his own name. Then he was hired by John Stedman at JSP to become A&R for the label. Produced 10 CD’s for various artists for JSP. During this time he was also touring Europe, Greece, Belgium and Switzerland and headlining festivals under his own name. He also had the pleasure of doing a Rounder/Bullseye Blues tour thru the US with Pat Boyack, Smokey Wilson and Smokin’ Joe Kubek. Here are some of the names of the great blues artists he has played with; Louisiana Red, Nappy Brown, Carey Bell, Pinetop Perkins, Hubert Sumlin, Lazy Lester, Clarence Holliman and Carol Fran, Joe Houston, Big Jay McNeely, just to name a few.

Andy Santana
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Inducted 2018 Bio

Born in San Jose, California, Andy Santana’s interest in blues and soul had an auspicious start. At 12 years old, Andy’s teenaged babysitter listened to the local radio station. She also played 45 records of her two favorites, Bobby Bland and James Brown when the radio didn’t please her.  One fateful day, she won a radio promotion– two tickets for an afternoon show featuring James Brown and the Famous Flames! Couldn’t ditch Andy, so they rode the crosstown bus to the San Jose Civic Auditorium. “All the women were going nuts. I’d never heard girls scream like that before.” What a phenomenon for a 12-year-old lad. “I was amazed by the energy and environment.”

On Andy’s 19th birthday a girlfriend Janet gave to him two harmonicas, saying “you need some music”.

Soon after while in San Francisco Golden Gate park, two life-changing moments occurred. While walking through the park he heard a young man (possibly Mark Hummel), playing. Andy asked him about a song he was playing—it was a Little Walter song. Andy scribbled it down on a matchbook cover. Later, that evening he walked past a North Beach club where Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee were booked. “I didn’t know a harmonica could sound like that,” Santana said. “I’d always looked at it as a toy. I had one but didn’t know one end from another. I was just blowing and drawing and making noise, not music. When I saw Sonny Terry, wow, I wanted to do that.”

Humbled by his deep appreciation for his early musical encounters with harmonica player Gary Smith, guitarist Junior Watson and guitarist/harmonica player Paul Durkett helped to mold his lifetime of playing. Andy always credits his musical friends as the reason for inspiration and direction.

With over 30 years experience fronting bands in Northern California, Andy and his band have backed, played and toured with blues legends guitarist Jimmy Rogers, guitarist Luther Tucker, drummer Al Duncan, bassist Dave Myers, guitarist Freddie Robinson (Abu Talib), singer Nappy Brown, saxophonist Joe Houston and singer/guitarist Earl King. Andy was also featured on harmonica with Bonnie Raitt at the Bay Area Music Awards.  He has played many West Coast music festivals, also the Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans, and has toured from Seattle to Belgium.

In 2015, Andy joined southern California’s Delta Groove Music as a recording artist and producer. His CD Watch Your Step was released worldwide to rave reviews. He co-produced and wrote most of Lady Of The Blues for blues star Miss Freddye of Pittsburgh, PA, who was nominated for two Blues Music Awards in 2017.

Andy’s band, the West Coast Playboys, consists of renowned northern California artists–Rusty Zinn, Mike Phillips, June Core, Greg Roberts, Kenny Marchese, and Larry Carr, depending on venue and location.  These musicians form a world class blues band playing rhythm and roots music reminiscent of New Orleans, Chicago, and West Coast influences.

​Bill Scholer
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Inducted 2017 Bio

Bill Scholer is a native Californian, born in Concord, California in 1954. As a teenager, he was greatly influenced by Jimmy Page, Albert King, Mike Bloomfield, Steve Miller and many others. From that point on he worked to become a guitarist, making many trips on a Greyhound bus to San Francisco to see guitarists Albert King, Mike Bloomfield, Steve Miller and more.

Scholer came to Davis to work for the UCD Art Department as Graphic Technician in 1981, which led him to meet Mike Henderson. Henderson was a blues guitarist who was performing with Mike Bloomfield, Albert Collins and opening for Jerry Garcia. With the encouragement of Henderson, Bill started performing in Davis coffee shops and open mics.

Teaming up with harmonica player Jim Lewis this acoustic duo opened shows for Paul Butterfield and Rick Danko, Willie Dixon, James Cotton and John Lee Hooker at the Palms. Adding drums, bass, and sax, The Bill Scholer Blues Band started hitting the clubs. This initial version of the Bill Scholer Blues Band opened shows for Los Lobos, The Chambers Brothers and The Ventures and played the Sacramento Blues Festival.

As bands do after many years, Scholer formed a newer version of the Bill Scholer Blues Band, which once represented the Sacramento Blues Society at the Oakland Art Museum at a gathering of Northern California Blues Societies and toured the Ukraine (then part of the USSR as part of the Davis Sister City Project}. Scholer went on to form other bands that played in the old Sam’s Hof Brau, Fox and Goose and the Hogshead Brew Pub in Old Sac. Each of these bands had a mixture of stellar performers.

The band took another turn in the 90’s, coming together with other current HOF members along with many other notables. Scholer continued to expand his repertoire and even played zydeco music in the Mark St Mary Zydeco Blues Band.

In 2000 Scholer performed at the Crocker Art Museum with Robert Armstrong, Keith Cary and Jim Monroe for the exhibition The Art of the Resonator Guitar.

Teaching music has always been Bill’s passion; he was awarded the California Arts Council Artist in Residency grant to teach music within the California State Prison system before relocating to Japan in 2012, where he currently resides with his wife Karla.

​Fred “Deacon” Baker
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Inducted 2017 Bio

Fred “Deacon” Baker started his musical career early at the age of six singing gospel in the church choir and was singing solos by the age of 10. His first instrument of choice was the trumpet, which he played in high school and college marching bands. While in high school he taught himself harmonica and in college played in a jazz band that backed such notables as Doc Severinsen. His career in the Navy took him to various countries where he could expand upon his vocals and harp playing, eventually leading him back to the States, where he soon became a popular fixture, playing with Johnny Heartsman, Arbess Williams, and Omar Sharriff (all HOF members now), generally at Sam’s Hof Brau and the Torch Club. He has done studio work with Sly and the Family Stone and Sammy Hagar, television work out of Chico, CA on Channel 12, and even crossed the line playing country at the Opry Land Hotel and the Nashville Palace in Nashville.

Upon returning to Sacramento Deacon was encouraged by Ken Van Cromphaut (Obie Dee) to join his band the BluesExciters and when it folded, joined up with the Sacramento Blues Revue, with whom he continues to play to this day.

​Ken (Obie Dee) Van Cromphau

Inducted 2017 Bio

​Ken (Obie Dee) Van Cromphaut has been a fixture on the West Coast music scene for more than forty years. With formal classical training, he had a love for Gospel and Blues music at an early age. He has also donned the composer hat and is a member of ASCAP as well as being a session musician and performing artist. As a guitarist, Obie Dee has crafted a crystalline guitar tone and screaming leads, and along with his raspy vocals, they have become his signature sound. His membership in some of the best known bands include The BluesExciters (founder), performed with Mick Martin and the Blues Rockers, The Grant Urias Band, Ro Harpo, the Slim Chance Band, Sleeper, Bone Jelly, and most recently the Zola Moon Band. In addition, Ken has been active in fund-raising events such as Loaves and Fishes, MDA Telethon, and the Multiple Sclerosis Society. He is a continuing member of the Sacramento Blues Society and the now-defunct Sierra Blues Society, where he once served on the Board of Directors.

​Stan Powell
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Inducted 2017 Bio

​Stan Powell started playing harmonica in the late 1970s, taking lessons from Little Charlie Baty. He began sitting in with bands in Sacramento, including Sacramento Hall of Fame members Little Charlie and Rick Estrin of the Nightcats, Ray “Catfish” Copeland, and Johnny Knox, who were each important early influences on his playing and gave him practical education on playing music. Stan continued to sit in with local bands and play at jam sessions while he lived in Arizona and southern California in the 1980s, and he had the opportunity to play with now well-known national artists like Bob Corritore, Janiva Magness, and the William Clarke band (then featuring Rick Holmstrom and Zach Zunis on guitars). Stan also played on his first recording with the Phoenix band, the Hoo Doo Kings.

Upon returning to Sacramento in 1991, Stan joined his first band, the Coolerators, which has since evolved into the current Midtown Creepers. The band has survived almost 25 years with original members Jerry McGuire and Stan Powell – while other personnel have changed, the band still includes a Nightcats alum and Hall of Fame member Liz Peel on bass, who Stan first met while taking lessons from Little Charlie. The Creepers have played at many of the notable Sacramento area clubs, including the Torch Club, Sam’s Hofbrau, the Stoney Inn, and the Sutterville Saloon (now the Powerhouse Pub), and put out their CD “All Over Town” that included a number of originals by the band.

Stan was also a member of Catfish and the Crawdaddies for about 15 years, reconnecting musically with Catfish Copeland. Stan participated in most of the band’s performances at the Sacramento Music Festival, and played on all three of the Crawdaddies’ CDs. Stan has also played with other northern California artists, including three CDs by west coast guitar wizard Kenny Blue Ray; Bobby Blues Ray’s recent “Blues Knight of the West Coast” CD; Julie and the Jukes and is currently playing original rock and roll music with Friday Night Band, having played on their first CD.

​Tim Wilbur
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Inducted 2017 Bio

​Tim Wilbur has been a first call drummer for an extensive list of Sacramento’s best musicians/bands and beyond, going back decades. It’s been said that Tim, a pro’s pro, has always been well prepared and on time for every musical assignment!

Wilbur was mentored by Ray Torres (Jimmy Reed, Freddie King, Delbert McClinton), played with Timothy Grass, co-founder, ’67-’70, a band featured in the legendary gigs in William Land Park, also Slo Loris, co-founder, ’69-‘70, horn band that gigged in the Sacramento Area/San Francisco Bay Area, opening for Tower Of Power, Savoy Brown, Boz Skaggs, Linda Tillery & The Loading Zone, Sons of Champlin, and Elvin Bishop. He also played many times in various bands with or backed the following folks: Mick Martin, Johnny Clarke, Gary Black, Johnny Nugget, Omar Sharriff, Marcus Rivers; Newell Burton (Electric Church), Craig Horton, Jimmy Z (Etta James, Rod Stewart), Roger Smith (Tower of Power), Guitar Shorty, RW Grigsby, and Steve Samuels.

Tim played in the Oldies Revue (Hughes Stadium, early ‘80s w/Johnny Heartsman), backed Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Mary Wells, the Coasters, the Drifters, Jewel Aiken, and Will Porter, in addition to playing many times at the Sacramento Blues Festival produced by the late Phil Givant in the 80’s; backed Chuck Berry there in 1992; and the Johnny Knox Trio with Jay Peterson at Sam’s Hof Brau, 1991-1992.  1995-2000 brought him into the Bill Scholer Blues Band; Kenny Blue Ray 2009-2012; Catfish and the Crawdaddies w/Ray Copeland 2012-2014; Red’s Blues, Sacramento Music Festival 2017 and The Hucklebucks 2010-present, plus the 2017 Sammies Hall of Fame.

​Jay Peterson
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Inducted 2017 Bio

(XX? – 2017)

​Jay Peterson was the former bassist for Little Charlie and the Nightcats and unfortunately cancer took his life in May. Over the course of his music career, Jay worked with such notables as Chuck Berry, Otis Rush and Charlie Musselwhite and local luminaries like Johnny “Guitar” Knox and more recently, Kyle Rowland. Jay’s professionalism and showmanship were instrumental in taking Little Charlie and the Nightcats from working the local bar scene to being signed by Alligator records and touring the world. Jay fought and conquered some serious health issues and had really been thriving the past few years until the cancer got him.

Charlie Baty recalls “Jay Peterson has represented Sacramento around the whole world. Jay was there at the inception of the blues scene at Sam’s Hofbrau and backed Johnny Knox there for years.  Jay lived here for large chunks of time twice in his life.  There have been few people who have been as influential as Jay Peterson in the history of Sacramento blues.”

Tony Montanino

​Inducted 2016 Bio

​ANTHONY (TONY) MONTANINO’s first band he played with was The Sunland Blues Band with Steve Samuels, Nate Shiner, and Dave Frasier, playing together about six years. The Sunland Blues Band backed up Luther Tucker, Charlie Musselwhite, John Lee Hooker, Willy Dixon and local Bobby ‘Blues’ Ray many times and opened to a sold-out Boz Skaggs concert at UCD Freeborn Hall.

Tony started a blues band called Quickshake after that, which consisted of Ray Copeland, Jim Monroe, and Liz Peel. After a year the band hired Charles Baty, which evolved into Little Charlie and the Nitecats, and a few months later Rick Estrin was added.

Tony went on to play with Nate Shiner and the Nite Hawks for several years, which later became The Nate Shiner Band. With Nate Shiner, they backed up Big Mama Thornton at the Sacramento Blues Festival along with many others.

In addition to his music, Tony has been painting blues figures for over 25 years and has autographed paintings by Fats Domino and Charlie Musselwhite.

Tony also designed the first logo for the SBS, which was used on the first membership cards & t-shirts. He also did the designs for most of The Sacramento Blues Festival & Heritage Festival posters and t-shirts. Tony has created many fine paintings of blues & jazz musicians, as well as local landscapes.

Marcel Smith
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​Inducted 2016 Bio

Born in Sacramento, California, MARCEL SMITH has remained a steady influence on California’s music scene for over 30 years. In his childhood, Marcel was exposed to various genres of music that made an impact on him and would remain with him to this day. Marcel began singing as a young child singing in church.

In 1981, Marcel joined the newly formed gospel group the WD Brothers (eventually would be WD Gospel Singers) and would begin a musical journey that would afford him many opportunities in the ensuing years.

In 1986, Marcel joined local blues band the Soul Prophets with Robert Nakashima. This band would grow to be among some of the best blues/soul bands in Sacramento. In 1993 the Soul Prophets won a SAMMIE Best Blues Band award sharing the honor with veteran blues band Little Charlie and the Nightcats (with Rick Estrin).

Marcel would continue working with both WD Gospel Singers and the Soul Prophets, sometimes appearing at the same blues festivals or club venues. In 2010, “Big” Mike Balma pulled a show together of the Soul Prophets and featured Earl Thomas and Otis Clay.

In 2014, Marcel and the WD’s were honored with the Black Music Award (BMA) Music Icon Award and were inducted into the Sacramento Black Music Hall of Fame.

This is one amazing artist that needs to be heard.

Guitar Mac
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​Inducted 2016 Bio

HARVEY “GUITAR MAC” MACKNALLY is from Cotton Plant, Arkansas, but his music is pure Mississippi Delta Blues. He was introduced to playing the blues guitar at a very young age, learning the Delta style which is still alive and kicking in that region. He moved to the South Bay area in 1968 and settled in Sacramento, California. He has relentlessly pursued opportunities to perform and demonstrate this style of music to the masses and this drive takes him all over the world. He’s performed in Europe – all over France, Italy, England, Germany and Holland. In California he’s been playing his music since 1983 at the Sacramento Blues Festival until it’s end.

He has 14 CDs out on the worldwide market I-Tunes. He has also been graced with many prestigious awards, solidifying his mark in this industry: 1990 – Key to the City of Sacramento, CA by then Mayor Ann Rudin; 1991 – Blues DJ Of The Year – Bay area Blues Society; 2002 – Radio Producer Of The Decade – Access Sacramento; 2006 – West Coast Blues Hall of Fame – Blues Band Leader Of The Year; 2009 – West Coast Blues Hall Of Fame – Traditional Delta Style Blues Artist of the Year.

​Doug Crumpacker

​Inducted 2016 Bio

DOUG CRUMPACKER began his career in Blues by playing saxophone and harmonica around Northern California with Buddy Brown and the Hound Dogs in the early 1980’s.

Around 1990 Doug formed The Hucklebucks with Robert Sidwell on guitar, RW Grigsby on bass and the late Jeff Poncia, drums. The Hucklebucks were very popular and played approximately 200 dates a year during the post Stevie Ray Blues boom. They were Sacramento News and Review Sammie winners and have been a fixture at the Torch Club and the former Sacramento Dixie Land Jazz Jubilee when blues bands were introduced to the event in the early 1990’s. Doug’s band has backed up Nicky Hill, a young blues star on the rise and others.

In recent years Doug switched to playing guitar due to a dental injury. His current Hucklebucks lineup features 2013 Sacramento Blues HOF inductee Jim Monroe on piano. Doug is highly respected in the local blues community for his integrity and commitment to Traditional Blues.

Dale Lyberger
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​Inducted 2016 Bio

DALE LYBERGER has lived in Davis and played bass in and around the Sacramento area since the early 1970’s. Dale’s first band was the Fourskins, a very popular band that often played the Oasis Ballroom and Crabshaw Corner every Thursday night to a packed house for more than five years in the 1970’s, followed by a stint with the very popular Redwing.

In the late 1970’s Dale played with Little Charlie and the Nightcats and his focus shifted to Blues. Dale played with The Bill Scholar Blues Band through the 80’s and 90’s and Catfish and the Crawdaddies from 2000 through 2010. Dale performed at a number of Sacramento Blues Festivals, backing up Chuck Berry, Eric Burdon, Kenny “Blue” Ray, and Steve Samuels, to name just a few. Dale has also played with The Jeff Watson Band and Bob Mora and the Third Degree for many years. The past seven plus years has found Dale playing with The Hucklebucks.

Dale has been a first call guy for blues bass throughout the Sacramento area for 35 plus years.

Bruce Pressley
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​Inducted 2015 Bio

Bruce Pressley, a 5th Generation Sacramento kid, planned on being a bass player via “Jack Bruce” until his dad made him an amp out of an old TV in his 24th and V Street garage with instructions not to touch “that”… when dad left, Bruce touched “that” and got the shock of his life. That led him to play drums.  In the late 70’s Bruce started a successful touring group, the “Bruneau Gold Band” named after his grandfathers Nevada gold mine. Joe Lev was the original bass player. After the BGB, Bruce played with several groups and several styles of music, especially Blues, throughout the western USA, including Hawaii and Alaska.  In 1996, Bruce was hired by Bawb Pearce to play drums for the famous BEER DAWGS.  After 2 years and almost 600 gigs, Bruce left the BEER DAWGS.  Subsequently Mick Martin called Bruce to possibly play drums with MICK MARTIN AND THE BLUES ROCKERS.  Bruce set the phone next to his drum set and “popped” a couple of different kinds of shuffles, did a few funk beats and passed the audition over the telephone.  Since that day, the BLUES ROCKERS have shared the stage with Joe Bonamassa, Elvin Bishop, Coco Montoya, Eddie Cotton, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Little Feat, Robin Ford and the Ford Brothers Band, Maria Muldaur, Craig Chaquico, Cold Blood, Tommy Castro, Leon Russell, Volker Strifler, Tower Of Power, Terry Hanck, Johnny Winter and most recently, Walter Trout.
Bruce has since become an integral part of the BLUES ROCKERS where he happily plays drums and sings to this day.

Donna Proctor Smith

​Inducted 2015 Bio

Donna Proctor Smith is a lifelong musician. At three years old, she demonstrated a fascination for music that was quickly embraced by her father, Vernon Proctor, a distinguished United States Air Force Band commander and later a Sacramento City College adjunct instructor. At age twelve, she began classical training on flute, then at 18, took up her father’s instrument, the bass.

Since the 1970s, Donna has been in demand. Her competent bass playing gained the attention of many headliners, including Blues legend Charles Brown, who offered her a position in his ensemble, Jimmy McCracklin, Floyd Dixon, BB King, Frankie Lee, John Mayall, Ray Charles and country player, Rodney Crowell. Their encouragement as well as her father’s is the guiding force behind her strive for excellence.

Most of Donna’s career as been with blues ensembles including stints with Blues Hall-of-Famer Mick Martin, Seattle Blues WC Handy winner Duffy Bishop, Gospel great Glenn Lane as well as in over 30 assorted regional bands.

Apart from the blues, Donna has performed with Native Music Grammy winner, Mary Youngblood, Grammy winner, Bob Cheevers, several folk/americana/classic rock bands, sang and played bass and flute in a duo for 10 years, was invited to play gospel in a church service and has recorded with a country band. She was a founding member of the Blues Rockers and played on Smith Martin and Shaw’s hit single, “Oh, the Road.”

Donna continues to vary her musical experiences. In 2015, she debuted as a lead lecturer for the Blues Society BITS program, and kept busy with the Lodi-based Esquires Blues Band along with several Sacramento bands. Eventually, she would like to return to performing classical flute.

​Liz Peel Vanhouten
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​Inducted 2015 Bio

Liz Peel was introduced to the blues after moving to Sacramento from Southern California (’73).  One of her early memories was seeing the local Sunland Blues Band, whom she befriended.  She had already begun messing around with the bass guitar and took a few lessons from their bass player, Jerry Eddleman, and later, Andy Samuels.  Soon, Liz joined her first band, Quickshake, with Ray “Catfish” Copeland.  Charles Baty later joined the band which eventually became Little Charlie and the Nightcats.  Liz learned much about Blues from Charlie  and still considers him her mentor.
As the original bass player for Little Charlie and the Nightcats (1976 to ’81), Liz played  several Sacramento Blues Festivals, backing Sonny Rhodes, Tiny Powell, Roy Brown, Gatemouth Brown, Big Momma Thornton, and Floyd Dixon.  The band toured with Floyd Dixon playing the Eugene, Oregon Blues Festival where (billed as the first female instrumentalist at the festival) she backed Albert Collins, John Lee Hooker, and others.  She played with the band at other important blues events like the San Francisco Blues Festival.  During those years, the band brought the blues into popular Sacramento Clubs like Maurice’s,  Harry’s Bar & Grill, and Tootsies in Old Sacramento.  Her solid groove helped put Sacramento on the Blues Map, and she had a unique presence as a woman bass player.
Liz missed the opportunity to record with Little Charlie, leaving the band to complete her education and work a day job. But, she continued to play blues and eventually recorded with Catfish & the Crawdaddies, the Midtown Creepers, and Kenny “Blue” Ray.  Over the years, Liz has played gigs with many notable local blues bands and artists such as  Johnny “Guitar” Knox, the Hucklebucks, and others.  Currently, she plays with the Midtown Creepers most frequently at the prized Torch Club.

Michael Andrews
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​Inducted 2015 Bio

(?? – 2016)

In 1965, young Sacramento musicians heard the call of the blues. Albums released by John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band seem to say “you don’t have to be black to sing and play the blues.” One of the first to heed the call was singer and harp player Michael Andrews, who put together The Parish Hall Blues Band with fellow students from Encina High School. The timing couldn’t have been better, as the group gained management and ended up playing at a number of major rock concerts with the Doors, the Yardbirds, Them (led by Van Morrison), the Grateful Dead, the Youngbloods and Quicksilver Messenger Service. Drummer John Roina remembers being on stage and looking to his right, “There was Jerry Garcia smiling and bopping to the music. He gave me a thumbs up.”.Andrews has been playing the blues ever since. In the 1970s, he played the blues at The Stony Inn in North Sacramento as Andrews & Friends on a regular basis. He was a featured guest artist with Mick Martin & the Blues Rockers in the 1980s at the Sacramento Blues Festival. As with his contemporary, Nate Shiner, he is a true pioneer in Sacramento blues.

Robert Sidwell
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​Inducted 2015 Bio

Robert Sidwell’s career as a blues musician began in 1993 as a founding member of the Chrome Addicts along with Tommy Young, Ben Thompson and Brad Cross.   In 1995 Robert was a founding member of the Hucklebucks along with Doug Crumpacker. (the band worked 200+ shows a year in nor-cal until 2001).  From 2006-08 Robert worked with The Rusty Zinn Band.  From 2008-10 found Robert in the popular Sacramento Valley country band Rowdy Kate.  Just recently from 2010-14 Robert has been working with well known Bay Area artist Earl Thomas and the Blues Ambassadors.

Some other artist’s of note that Sid is working with currently include Mark Hummel and the Blues Survivors, Red’s Blues, the Kyle Rowland Band and his new project is the Switchblade Trio with Larry Carr and James Pace

Over the years Robert has shared the stage with a number of other prominent blues musicians including Rick Estrin, Charlie Baty, Steve Freund, Junior Watson, Ronnie James Weber, Nick Moss, Andy Santana, Terry Hanck, Johnny Knox, Bob Mora, Jim Monroe, Doug Crumpacker, June Core, Kedar Roy, Aaron Moreno, Mike Morgan, John Lawton and Aki Kumar.

Robert has been one of the best traditional blues guitarists in the northern area for over 20 years. He has also composed some fine instrumental pieces as well.

Aaron King
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​Inducted 2014 Bio

A true product of the Sacramento blues scene, guitarist Aaron King has been an ambassador for Sacramento blues around the world showcasing a style that owes as much to jazz guitarists like Herb Ellis and country guitarists like Hank Garland as it does to blues guitarists like Albert King and Albert Collins. Born and raised in Sacramento, King got his first lessons in blues from Sacramento Blues Hall of Famer Johnny “Guitar” Knox. He continued his blues guitar education under the mentorship of another Sacramento Blues Hall of Famer, Little Charle Baty, developing a style that would combine blues, jazz, and country guitar. From there he spent his formative years playing guitar for and recording with the late, great pianist Omar Shariff.

Playing with renowned Sacramento jump blues band The Chrome Addicts, King went on to win several Sacramento Area Music Awards (Sammies) including a Critic’s Choice Award for Outstanding Guitarist. After several national and international tours with the Chrome Addicts, he left the band to start his own group, Aaron King and the Imperials. In addition to playing with the Imperials he also toured with world-renowned boogie-woogie pianist Mitch Woods playing such prestigious festivals as the Montreal Jazz Festival and Umbria Jazz Festival.

In recent years, King has broadened his musical horizons through his association with highly respected Sacramento jazz bassist Harley White, Jr., blurring the lines between blues, jazz, funk, and even hip-hop in an effort to continue pushing the music forward in ways his predecessors did decades earlier with the electrification of blues- a radical notion at the time.

​Derek Washington

​Inducted 2014 Bio

Derek’s interest in music began at the age of four or five years as a radio kid who heard Bill Monroe and the Texas Playboys, Leadbelly, and Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup doing their hits of the day. At age seven he wanted to be a musician and began listening to music differently than before.  He played drums and slide trombone in high school and played the ‘bone in both the marching band and concert band in undergraduate school.  He was also listening hard and regularly to the blues on WLAC in Nashville, TN.  Playing in school and listening to the blues on radio and at many blues gigs in his former home town sealed his blues fate. Along the way, he added variety – following Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Jimmy Smith, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, lots of great Rhythm & Blues artists and countless other musicians.

Derek came to Sacramento in 1972 and his musical interest was strengthened when he joined forces with the founding group of the Sacramento Blues Society. He then served as President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Parliamentarian.  He often was the Master of Ceremonies at SBS functions and states he has “provided my meager skills as a musician for a number of Blues Society benefits to aid in the advancement and presentation of the blues”.

Derek began a side career as a radio broadcaster in 1988, with strong emphasis on blues programming with a little jazz added. He spent 12 years at KUOP-FM at the University of the Pacific, in Stockton, hosting “Trackin’ the Blues” and regularly advising the listeners of Blues Society events and featured artists around town. He continued seven years more after the station was absorbed by Capitol Public Radio at KXJZ-FM in Sacramento, but lost his ability to promote the Blues Society and local musicians and shows while there.  Derek moved his “Trackin’ the Blues to KVMR-FM in Nevada City, CA seven years ago.

Joe Lev​
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​Inducted 2014 Bio

Music has been the unifying thread in Joe’s life. It has been his full time career as an adult.  And blues has been right at the center of it all.

His first blues memory is, from the age of 10 or 12, when his folk-singing parents brought home copy of a record on Folkways called “Blues with Big Bill Broonzy, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee”. It featured the three bluesmen being interviewed by the incomparable Studs Terkel and songs from all of them. He remembers Big Bill said “blues is something you live” and Studs said “Charlie Parker said if you don’t live it, it won’t come out of your horn.”  Joe didn’t know what “it” was but he wanted “it”, wanted to live “it.”  Since then he has strived to be a real one, and says it’s up to his peers and listeners to determine if he has fulfilled his mission.

Since age 12, Joe had a long succession of teenage bands, first were surf bands with progressions just like blues. Joe says the Rolling Stones pointed his way to real blues.  He was in his first “good band”, Buckwheat, right out of high school.  It was definitely blues based, everything from Muddy Waters to Mose Allison.

The next 15 years found Joe playing in a succession of funk, rock and country cover bands and Nevada style show bands. In 1984 he got off the road and started playing with anyone that would allow him. This culminated in a nine year relationship with the newly formed Beer Dawgs with Bob Pearce.

Joe left the Beer Dawgs in 1995 and his blues pursuit began in earnest. He booked two ongoing blues jam house band gigs; two a week at the old Torch Club with Mr. Johnny Nugget and one a week in Nevada City with B.B. and the Blue Jays.  Soon he was getting the blues repertoire under his belt.  All this lead to a tour with the great Frankie Lee among many other blues gigs.  He still plays full time, all sorts of American roots music, but with a strong emphasis on the blues.

He has shared stages and studios with many local and a few national blues stars, and have been teaching bass and guitar for 15 years. The past five years Joe has been passing on his love of the blues to the many students involved in our Blues in the Schools program through performances and workshops. He also serves as an artist in residence at Rosemont and West Campus High Schools, passing his skills and love of the blues on to another generation.

Jan Kelley
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​Inducted 2014 Bio

Jan moved to Sacramento from Portland, OR in March, 1984 and worked for a law firm where one of the lawyers was a singer in a Blues band. He told her about the Sacramento Blues Festival in the fall and invited her to attend.  She did and became a huge fan of the Blues.

The following year, Jan contacted Phil Givant and became one of his devoted volunteers, continuing to volunteer at the Blues Festival each year until its end in 1993. Charles Washington was leading the volunteers at the time and explained to Jan about the Sacramento Blues Society; she joined the Society and continued her volunteering for many of its events thru the years.  She expanded her knowledge and love of the Blues, going to other shows and volunteering, and becoming acquainted with the local Blues bands and clubs.

Jan started contributing reviews of Blues festivals and other Blues shows for the SBS newsletter “Blue Notes” in 1994, later adding calendar information for events in the region. She has contributed many articles to it over time. In 2010, Jan became co-editor and continues in that function – working tirelessly to produce a blues newsletter the SBS can showcase.

She first became a SBS Board member in 2000 and 2001 as Secretary, all while undergoing treatments for Breast Cancer! At the time, there were only 4 Board members and no other volunteers.  Jan then became President, starting weekly jams at a local club with all local bands, giving away cassettes/CDs to newly joining members, and with the good graces of Willie Brown, built up the membership and interest level for the SBS.

Mike Balma had been producing Blues shows that Jan attended, and when he started the series of Heritage Festival concerts, she joined his staff & continued to volunteer at most of his events for several years. She was one of the volunteer coordinators for Mike at his shows in the Camp Pollack area.

When Jan left the SBS Board in 2003, she learned that the Sierra Blues Society, which encompassed a large area in the foothills around Sacramento, was in need of Board members to keep it a viable organization. She stayed on their Board for three years, but gravitated back to the Sacramento Blues Society to help them, becoming a Board member once again in 2011 as Parliamentarian, leading to Vice President and eventually President in 2013.  During this time, she also solicited and arranged raffle prizes at events (which contribute to the general fund for SBS), served on various committees and volunteered in different capacities.

Jan has given the Blues Community the gift of her leadership skills, knowledge of Blues history, friendly relationships with well-known blues artists, charm, skill, and friendliness.

Marshal Wilkerson​

​Inducted 2014 Bio

Marshal began his singing career at an early age, singing for cookies in Shreveport, LA at the local market where his mother shopped. At about age 3, he learned “When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano” from the radio, and sang it over and over as his mother shopped.  The shopkeeper was delighted in this small child singing about Capistrano and rewarded him with a cookie.  As he requested a cookie every time he went into the shop, the shopkeeper would gather the shoppers and have Marshall sing before he got the cookie.   At about 15, he set his sights on a classical career and took vocal lessons to compete in contests.

Somewhere along the way, he discovered the blues, and the classical dreams no longer existed.  He also began playing the guitar.  Enlisting in the Air Force at 18, he sang with The Continentals which performed in the “Tops in Blue” show.  After his service, he formed a duo and sang in the Los Angeles area.

Marshall relocated from the Los Angeles area to Sacramento in the late 1980’s, and got involved in the local music scene while employed by the State of California. Although he had a “day job” his evenings were filled with music.  In 1999, he formed the group Marshal Law.  This was a very popular local band that represented the Sacramento Blues Society at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN in 2000.

Marshal retired from his day job in 2001 and added more music to his life by attending jams and taking invitations to be a guest vocalist. In 2004 he joined, and is still with, the Sacramento Blues Review.  When the band Marshal Law disbanded in 2005 he formed a new band, Smoked Sugar.  Two years later he formed a blues trio called Mixed Drinks.   The Sacramento Blues Revue was nominated for the SAMMIES in the Blues category in 2008, and they brought home the award.  Marshall is proud of his vocal participation with the group and of this local recognition.

Derek came to Sacramento in 1972 and his musical interest was strengthened when he joined forces with the founding group of the Sacramento Blues Society. He then served as President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Parliamentarian.  He often was the Master of Ceremonies at SBS functions and states he has “provided my meager skills as a musician for a number of Blues Society benefits to aid in the advancement and presentation of the blues”.

Derek began a side career as a radio broadcaster in 1988, with strong emphasis on blues programming with a little jazz added. He spent 12 years at KUOP-FM at the University of the Pacific, in Stockton, hosting “Trackin’ the Blues” and regularly advising the listeners of Blues Society events and featured artists around town. He continued seven years more after the station was absorbed by Capitol Public Radio at KXJZ-FM in Sacramento, but lost his ability to promote the Blues Society and local musicians and shows while there.  Derek moved his “Trackin’ the Blues to KVMR-FM in Nevada City, CA seven years ago.

Patrick Balcom aka ‘Ratatat’ Pat

​Inducted 2013 Bio

Born and raised in Sacramento, California, Patrick started out with pots and pans but eventually got a snare drum and learned to read music from Mike Lawson. Pat’s father’s radio station job gave him access to the vinyl record vaults at KRAK and KCTC, so Pat began listening to every kind of music under the sun down at the radio stations and would take home recordings to learn on the drums. This allowed him to play with any style band due to his repertoire. In his teen years Pat wrote and played original music with The Azari Project (w/Leo Bootz), Blind Man’s Treat (w/Paul Relvas), Landfall and The Jinx.

Pat was in The Rhythm Method (w/Dave Garity) a 50’s and 60’s band in the late 1980’s, which took him to Sam’s Hof Brau that had blues seven nights a week. This is where Pat saw for the first time Johnny Heartsman, Arbess Williams, Johnny “Guitar” Knox, Gene Chambers, Lena Mosley, Big John Evans, Jimmy Smith, Mark Hummel, Rick Estrin and Omar (Sharriff) The Magnificent. Many of these musicians are in the SBS’ Hall of Fame.

In 1991 Arbess started her own band with Pat as her drummer. She loved his drumming but couldn’t remember his name, so someone said it’s Pat, like Ratatat, and that’s how he’s been known since. ‘Ratatat’ Pat began working with and recording albums with his mentors Arbess Williams, Johnny Heartsman, Omar Sharriff and Johnny “Guitar” Knox.

‘Ratatat’ is also well known in the Rock and Roll world; a life-long study of New Orleans roots music keeps this “Bluesman” playing Jazz, Cajon, Zydeco, Rock, Country and the Blues all around Northern California. Pat has played and recorded with a plethora of well-known blues musicians, always keeping the rhythm going. He can be seen in many blues bands in this area.

Lew Fratis
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​Inducted 2013

Born in Sacramento and raised in West Sacramento, Lew started playing professionally at an early age and by age 22 was on his own. In the mid-seventies, he did some stints in Los Angeles and then returned to Sacramento. Around 1989, Pat Balcom and Lew formed the Luminators and started playing at Sam’s Hof Brau and the Torch Club. Around the same time, they became Arbess Williams’ (HOF Inductee) back-up band and recorded her first CD. They also recorded with Omar Sharriff (HOF inductee) and contributed to the Sacramento Blues CDs.

Lew and Pat soon became one of the most popular bands in town and were able to record CDs of their own material. The Sacramento News and Review nominated the CD “Bright Idea” for Best CD of 1993. That same year, Lew was nominated for a Sammie for Best Blues Guitarist and The Luminators won for Best Blues Band. In 2009, he and his good friend Jimmy Pailer were selected to represent the Sacramento Blues Society in Memphis at the International Blues Competition. For the past several years, they both have been instructor/lecturer for the SBS’ Blues In The Schools program. Lew has played weekly at the Torch Club for 20 years and continues to entertain there.

Jim Monroe
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​Inducted 2013

California born and raised, James Monroe learned to play piano by listening to such stalwarts as Johnnie Johnson (Chuck Berry’s piano player), the great Otis Spann, Floyd Dixon, Professor Longhair and others who would influence his playing.  Although Jim has taken some music lessons over the years, he is primarily self-taught.

The Nate Shiner Blues Band was one of the leading blues groups in town in the late 60’s, early 70’s and Jim would play with Nate’s band for many years.  He also learned quite a bit about playing the blues from Steve Samuels (HOF Inductee), performing in Steve’s band during the late seventies.  Jim was an original member of Little Charlie and the Night Cats in the mid-seventies; during the early eighties Jim started his own group, the Bluescasters.

Throughout Jim’s musical career he has backed some big name blues artists: Big Mama Thornton, Charlie Musselwhite, Luther Tucker, Lowell Fulson, Norton Buffalo and others at festivals and clubs.  Jim also toured with the great blues pianist Floyd Dixon in the late seventies, as his bass player.  Jim was also on tracks for the two blues CDs that recorded local performers in the Sacramento area.  In 1991, he performed for a couple of years with Mark Hummel, then joined the Craig Horton band around 2003, playing in his band for years, followed by a tour with Joe Louis Walker in 2007.

Jim continues to play with Craig Horton at festivals as well as with local bands, such as Ray ‘Catfish’ Copeland (HOF inductee) and his band The Crawdaddies.

Jimmy Pailer

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​Inducted 2013

Hailing from St. Louis, Missouri, Jimmy played the Reno circuit between St. Louis and Reno before coming to Sacramento in 1989.  His musical style is deeply rooted from Delta Blues, International Blues, and Rock and Roll, but as most blues musicians feel, Jimmy says blues is always incorporated into all his music.

Jimmy has played in a variety of local groups such as Funkengruven, and with Lew Fratis, Bruce Spencer, Stacie Eakes, Mick Martin, Arbess Williams, and many others.  He went on to form his own group known as Jimmy Pailer and The Bad Boys, later forming The Prophets.  Jimmy has had the opportunity to work with many musical greats such as Walter Trout, Tommy Castro, Chuck Berry, Bobby Vega, Leon Russell, Rare Earth, and Richie Hayward.

In 2009, he and Lew Fratis were selected to represent the Sacramento Blues Society in Memphis at the International Blues Competition.  Jimmy has dedicated his time and talent in working with the Sacramento Blues Society’s “Blues in the Schools Program” by volunteering at the inner city schools to perform, educate, and teach students about the Blues.  Jimmy has also served as emcee for charity shows at the Torch Club.  He continues to perform every Thursday night at the San Juan Club and can also be seen most Friday nights at the Torch Club, along with Lew Fratis.

Nate ‘Snakeboy’ Shiner

​Inducted 2013

Born in Shiner, Texas, his family moved when he was young from Texas to Sacramento and he began playing alto sax and singing pop tunes.

Nate formed his own band, first becoming Good Time Lovin’ and then Tombstone Pillbox, eventually evolving into the Nate Shiner Blues Band (NSBB).  In 1968, the group was asked to open for a touring blues act. The act was the legendary Muddy Waters Blues Band.  This event led Nate to a life-long love of the blues and the nickname “Snakeboy” after Muddy’s guitarist Luther “Georgia Boy” “Snake” Johnson.

In the late 1970’s, the NSBB became the Sunland Blues Band; many of these players became HOF inductees.  For ten years, Nate worked for Phil Givant (HOF inductee) and the Sacramento Blues Festival performing with his own band or backing others.  He also produced videos of the festival using the equipment of Sacramento Public Access television.

Nate and a partner also opened The Grinding Stone (now Luna’s) on 16th Street and featured Steve Samuels, Johnny Knox and Mike Andrews as some of the acts who played there.  The Grinding Stone featured some of the best artists in Sacramento at its monthly art shows and musicians from the Fifth String came in for Thursday night jam sessions.  Nate also found time to do a blues radio show for KYDS public radio, started by the founders of KVMR in Nevada City.  Rick Estrin, among others, played live at the station.

In 1984, Nate joined forces with vocalist/guitarist G.G. Amos and for the next ten years they toured as a duo and sometimes with a full band.  After ten years, the duo split and GG formed GG and the Magic Band, touring extensively in the U.S.  Nate joined as vocalist and played harmonica, lap slide guitar and keyboards.  Nate and GG also coproduced the CD “Gots Ta Go”.  Nate has an impressive discography too numerous to mention here.

After five years, Nate returned to his blues roots with his group The Straight Ahead Blues Trio with drummer and long-time friend Tony Montanino and bassist Nick Doud, whose mother, Cathy “Detroit” Rae he soon fell in love with and married.  Nate and Cathy currently reside in Texas and perform as the Snakeboy Shiners, with Cathy on drums and percussion.

Al Arnett
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​Inducted 2012 Bio

(1929 – 2012)

For more than 40 years, Al Arnett was the bass player of choice and an important part of the rhythm section which built the Sacramento blues scene.

Born in Georgia and raised in Cleveland, Al started playing guitar professionally in 1947, wearing a fake beard and mustache to disguise his age. In 1960, he switched to bass guitar and, as an Air Force serviceman, played in bands composed of the best military musicians. During his overseas tours, he worked bases in France and Japan, often playing 6-7 nights a week. In Japan, he met and worked with guitarist Gene Chambers (later to become a Sacramento resident and Sacramento Blues Hall of Famer) and they backed visiting stars, including Lou Rawls and Sam and Dave.

In 1972, he moved to Sacramento and, along with Gene Chambers and drummer Marshall “Soulman” Jones formed the core rhythm section for multiple Sacramento bands. Al typically worked in two or thee bands at a time for many years, some which endured for more than 20 years. Al played with the Dave Bonds Rhythm & Blues Band (considered for several years the top Sacramento band), the Blues Express, Blues Ambassadors, Soul of the Blues (Glenn Lane’s band), Nate Shiner Big Blues Revue, Bits and Pieces and many others. Al also led Everyday People, another solid, long-time Sacramento blues band.

Al played most of the Sacramento Blues Festivals and many of the Sacramento Heritage Festivals in multiple bands. He’s backed Little Milton, Lowell Fulson, Jimmy McCracklin, Roy Brown and countless other local and national blues luminaries. He also recorded with the Blues Ambassadors, Glenn Lane, Arbess Williams, Johnny Heartsman and Omar Sharriff.

Al is best-known as the bass player that “everybody wants to play with”.

Ray “Catfish” Copeland
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​Inducted 2012 Bio

Born and raised in California, Ray Copeland moved to Sacramento in 1967 and began playing guitar, where he soon met up with a local group of musicians called the Sunland Blues Band. Their Guitarist Steve Samuels helped Ray get going with some blues ba-sics.

In 1976, Ray formed a band called Quick-shake, where he met blues harmonica ace and guitarist Little Charlie Baty, who taught Ray all the correct chord forms for backing Charlie’s harmonica. Charles joined the band and the name soon changed to Little Charlie and the Nightcats. During the late 70´s Ray played with The Nate Shiner Blues Band and then got an opportunity through local blues promoter Phil Givant to go on tour with blues piano legend Floyd Dixon, followed by a short stint as guitar player for Mark St. Mary. In 1980 Ray was introduced to musician Johnny “Guitar” Knox (Hall of Fame inductee) and the band called The Blue Flames was formed. The Blue Flames performed in the area until 1999, even though Ray had left in 1985. During the next 10 years Ray managed a Tower Re-cords store in Sacramento and played occasionally at the Sacramento Blues Festival and a few local es-tablishments. Ray has performed on stage with blues notables Big Momma Thornton, Luther Tucker, Elvin Bishop, William Clark, Rod Piazza, Little Joe Blue, Buddy Ace, Johnny Heartsman, Little Charlie Baty, Rick Estrin, (Hall of Fame Inductees) Kenny “Blue” Ray and many other great musicians.

Catfish and the Crawdaddies formed in 1995 and play a wide range of blues including Chicago, Texas, New Orleans, and West Coast styles, in addition to some old school Rock´n´Roll. They have been a popular attraction at the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee for the last 15 years and played several years at the world famous “Saloon” in San Francisco. Catfish and the Crawdaddies have released three self-produced recordings, for which they have received high reviews and numerous awards.

Marshall “Soulman” Jones

​Inducted 2012 Bio

For more than 30 years, Marshall Jones was the drummer of choice and an important part of the rhythm section which built the Sacramento blues scene. Born in Natchitoches, Louisiana, Marshall started drumming to accompany the country music he heard as a kid. After moving to Oakland in 1995, he met Johnny Heartsman (HOF inductee), his next door neighbor, and started playing blues. He began his professional career in 1959-60 with Johnny’s band and developed his skills in Bay Area nightclubs, backing visiting national artists and jamming.

In the ‘70s, he moved to Sacramento and met harmonica player Johnny Ayers, who introduced him to Dave Bonds, Al Arnett and Gene Chambers (HOF inductee). Together, they first formed the Dave Bonds Rhythm & Blues Band, which was the most popular Sacramento band at the time. They played the Sacramento Blues Festival and backed many visiting musicians, including Little Milton. After Bonds found religion and moved to Los Angeles, Al, Gene and Marshall stuck together and formed the core rhythm section for multiple Sacramento blues bands that have endured for more than 20years. He was the leader of The Blues Express and The Blues Ambassadors throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s and played with many other local bands such as Nate Shiner’s Big Blues Revue.

Marshall played most of the Sacramento Blues Festivals and many of the Sacramento Heritage Festivals. He also recorded with the Blues Ambassadors and Glenn Lane.

Steve Samuels
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​Inducted 2012 Bio

(1946 – 2014)

Known as one of Sacramento’s best blues guitarists/ v o c a l i s t s , St e v e Samuels was an important contributor to Sacramento’s reputation as a blues town. Born without a left hand, his arm ended just below the elbow. Nevertheless, he utilized it like a one fingered wrist and picked a right hander’s guitar by holding it upside down and backwards.

Steve grew up in Sacramento, started playing guitar at 17, discovered B.B.King and the blues at 19 and was a professional by age 20. In the late.60’s, Steve played guitar for Sacramento’s legendary blues band of exceptional local players, The Sunland Blues Band. In 1969, he sat in with The Muddy Waters’ Band for a gig in Berkeley and was invited back for Muddy’s gigs the next two days. In 1970, he started his own band, The Steve Samuels Blues Revue, and played regularly at many Sacramento area clubs, including Tootsie’s, Vangari’s, Melarkey’s and the Torch Club. He played nearly all of the Sacramento Blues Festivals as either a leader or sideman and his band was featured seven times from 1979-1989.

Steve has released two excellent LPs. In 1985, he recorded On The Corner Of Blues And Swing, backed by former members of the Mighty Flyers Band, along with William Clarke, pianist David Fraser, his brother Andrew Samuels (of Sacramento country-rock band Redwing) and special guest, Sacramento vocalist Bobby “Blues” Ray. He wrote two of the cuts. In 1994, he recorded Saturday Night Blues, which also included David Fraser and William Clarke. He also backed Bobby “Blues” Ray on “Your Friends” which appears on the Sacramento Blues compilation CD.

Torch Club / Texeira Family

​Inducted 2012 Bio

The Torch Club was one of the first bars in Sacra-mento, established in 1934, the year prohibi-tion ended. Frank Texeira bought it in 1969, when it was origi-nally called The Tumble Inn. It had an upstairs sporting bar where pa-trons would place their bets on horse racing and the fights, and “ladies of the evening” were waiting for those who won. When the “fallen doves” didn’t have any busi-ness, they would come downstairs & sing torch songs at the piano located there. Thus it became known as “The Torch” although it is not known when the name officially changed.

There were also live jazz and lingerie shows held there, as well as a competitive art show that became so popular it was televised on the local TV stations. Frank was a gam-bler and fight manager who died in 1980 in Del Mar, where he had gone to retire. The slogan “known from Maine to Spain” became recognized in association with the Torch Club, which is attributed to the late Frank Texeira.

Looking at the display cases and pictures on the walls at the Torch, one can realize the sense of what was past. Ron moved the club in1982 from its original location at 8th & L Street forsaking the last “watering hole for politicians” who took an easy stroll from dinner at Frank Fat’s to drinks at the Torch Club. It was at this time people came to the Torch Club partly for the jukebox that was known for its 45 records in addition to the socializing over drinks. Over the years, music was gradually added, first by a live DJ, and eventually bands, notably The Beer Dawgs, by Ronnie Texeira, Ron’s son. That’s when Sam’s Hof Brau on J Street closed and there weren’t any other blues clubs around.

Marina Texeira, daughter of Ron, soon joined her father and brother and was instrumental in bringing in nationally known blues acts every day of the week. Their dad Ron passed away in May 2009. Since then, Marina has hosted various musical events for non-profit organizations and benefits at the Torch Club, always caring for the Blues Family at large. This club has continued to keep its jovial charm but has evolved into more than just a bar but also a community treasure. It is now going into its 12th year at the current location on 15th Street between I and J Streets.

Lena Mosley
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​Inducted 2011 Bio

Raised in Alabama, Lena grew up singing gospel in her grandmother’s church. She moved to Sacramento with her family in 1966. In 1976, Gene Chambers heard Lena sing and encouraged her to sing the blues, taking her around town and introducing her to such influences as Johnny Heartsman, Arbess Williams, Johnny Knox and Mick Martin.

Lena performed regularly for many years with local bands before forming her own band, Lena Mosley and The Badd Shoes Blues Band,” When Mike Balma decided to record a CD entitled “The Sacramento Blues,” it featured 10 local blues bands that included Lena’s. All the groups on the recording then toured from Sacramento to Tahoe, San Francisco, Redding, stopping at many of the surrounding cities. The Rhythm and Blues Magazine interviewed and featured an article on Lena’s participation in the tour and the CD.

Lena’s performance with the Sacramento Blues Society events span many years, performing at Christmas parties, fund raisers, jam sessions and the Blues In The School program. Lena also brought the “Blues” to the CSUS Student Body, and her band regularly performed at the Sacramento Blues Festival during the many years that Phil Givant was the producer, leading to being asked by the Jazz Jubilee to perform on subsequent occasions.

In 2006, Lena joined “The Sacramento Blues Revue,” an eight person band, as the only female vocalist. Recently the group received a SAMMIE (Sacramento Area Music Award) for the “Best Blues Band,” recognizing the band as a prominent local act.

“Big Mike” Balma
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​Inducted 2011 Bio

For more than 20 years, Mike Balma has contributed to Sacramento blues as a promoter and producer of blues festivals, concerts and shows and as an owner and producer of recordings by Sacramento blues musicians.

Mike volunteered for the Sacramento Blues Festival beginning in the 1980’s, eventually becoming a member of the executive staff, then went on to become President of the Sacramento Blues Society in 1992. Under his leadership with the SBS, there were 5 Blues in the Park concert series as well as the release of Sacramento Blues, a compilation CD of 16 Sacramento blues artists.

Mike is perhaps best known as the co-director of the Sacramento Heritage Festival, which was produced from 1994 to 2002 and sometimes drew over 10,000 attendees and featured many genres of music as an art form. From 1997 to 2011, Mike presented over 50 shows of multiple-themed acts in various venues, primarily the Sacramento Horsemen’s Association.

Several benefit concerts were held to generate funds for musicians and their families and thousands of dollars-worth of musical instruments were donated to a variety of Sacramento area school music programs.

During the past 20 years, Mike also produced blues programming for other Sacramento area musical programs, including the Rocklin Jubilee, Rainbow Festival, several SPCA Festivals, the Sacramento Downtown Concert Series and the Sacramento SAMMIES.

​Omar Sharriff “aka” David Alexander Elam

​Inducted 2011 Bio

(1938 – 2012)

Omar was born David Alexander Elam in Shreveport, Louisiana and was raised in Marshall, Texas migrating to California in 1957 and settling in the Bay Area in the mid-60s. He recorded 3 LPs in 1968, 1972-73 and in 1975 he was rated the 3rd best piano player in the world by Contemporary Keyboard magazine (behind Ray Charles and Mose Allison).

After the rise of disco and changing to his Muslim name, Omar saw his gigs limited and he sank into obscurity. He relocated to the Fresno area during the 1980’s and despite his distant location, Omar frequently gigged in Sacramento throughout the 80’s at Melarkeys, the Torch Club and the Palms Playhouse in Davis and was the house band for extended stays at Sam’s Hof Brau. In 1992, he moved to Sacramento and for the next 20 years had numerous appearances at Fulton’s Prime Rib and Jazzman’s in Old Sacramento.

Omar appeared at all the major national blues festivals, including many times at San Francisco. He appeared at every Sacramento Blues Festival from 1976-1993 and every Sacramento Heritage Festival held from 1994-2005. Omar also toured nationally and internationally.

Omar’s repertoire includes over 5000 songs and dozens of outstanding, edgy original compositions, many of which involve uncomfortable subjects and brutally honest lyrics. While in Sacramento, Omar recorded 3 CDs for the Have Mercy Label and his songs also appear on both Sacramento Blues compilation CDs. In 1993, his song “House Built By The Blues” was nominated for a Handy award and Sacramento Bee music critic David Barton called it “one of the best songs of any kind to come from a local songwriter” and Omar “one of the country’s best songwriters.”

In 2011, Omar returned to live as a honored musician in his hometown of Marshall, Texas at the request of the mayor, who declared the town “The Boogie Woogie Capital” upon Omar’s return.

Charlie Baty
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​Inducted 2010 Bio

(1953 – 2020)

Charlie Baty was born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1953 and started playing harmonica during his high school days in Millbrae, California. While attending UC Berkeley in the early 1970’s, he picked up some harp pointers from Rick Estrin, who was already a veteran on the Bay Area Blues scene. After graduation, Charlie moved to Sacramento to land a job in state government. On the side, he formed Little Charlie and the Nightcats in 1975, named in deference to Little Walter’s first band. Charlie held down the harp position and began to explore the guitar.

In May 1976, Rick asked Charlie for work and moved to Sacramento. For about two years, their double harp attack was prominent but Charlie continued to woodshed, studying Christian recordings and honing his skills. He quickly became a guitar wizard and left the harp licks to Rick.

Charlie is known for his acrobatic finger picking prowess and mastery of many musical styles, including jump, swing, surf, rockabilly, jazz and slow, gutbucket blues. He is considered among the very few best blues guitarists in the modern era and has been the namesake of the band that made Sacramento famous in the blues world.

Rick Estrin
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​Inducted 2010 Bio

Rick Estrin grew up in San Francisco and started playing harmonica in 1965 at age 16. After dropping out of high school, he roamed the streets near clubs in black neighborhoods soaking up the sounds inside and practicing his harp. His first professional job was opening, as sort of a white novelty act in a black band, at a Hunter’s Point bar. Soon he met bluesman Rodger Collins, who influenced him to develop an energetic stage routine.

In 1976, he moved to Sacramento and hooked up with Charlie Baty and his band, “Little Charlie & the Nightcats.” For a decade they gigged all over the Sacramento and Bay Area, playing clubs like Melarkey’s, Tootsie’s, Vangari’s and the Sacramento Blues Festival. In 1986, the band sent a tape to Alligator Records which immediately launched them into a non-stop touring routine that was to last 30 years. They released nine CDs and became Sacramento’s best-known contribution to the blues world, headlining festivals all over the world. Rick’s witty original tune, “My Next Ex-Wife” won the 1993 Blues Music Award for Song of the Year. After Charlie’s retirement, Rick formed Rick Estrin and the Nightcats, which continues to tour regularly, issue exciting music and represent Sacramento.

In the blues world, Rick is famous for his sharpdressed man look, his wry and thoughtful original songwriting, his unique harp tone reminiscent of the masters, and his soulful vocals.

After the rise of disco and changing to his Muslim name, Omar saw his gigs limited and he sank into obscurity. He relocated to the Fresno area during the 1980’s and despite his distant location, Omar frequently gigged in Sacramento throughout the 80’s at Melarkeys, the Torch Club and the Palms Playhouse in Davis and was the house band for extended stays at Sam’s Hof Brau. In 1992, he moved to Sacramento and for the next 20 years had numerous appearances at Fulton’s Prime Rib and Jazzman’s in Old Sacramento.

Omar appeared at all the major national blues festivals, including many times at San Francisco. He appeared at every Sacramento Blues Festival from 1976-1993 and every Sacramento Heritage Festival held from 1994-2005. Omar also toured nationally and internationally.

Omar’s repertoire includes over 5000 songs and dozens of outstanding, edgy original compositions, many of which involve uncomfortable subjects and brutally honest lyrics. While in Sacramento, Omar recorded 3 CDs for the Have Mercy Label and his songs also appear on both Sacramento Blues compilation CDs. In 1993, his song “House Built By The Blues” was nominated for a Handy award and Sacramento Bee music critic David Barton called it “one of the best songs of any kind to come from a local songwriter” and Omar “one of the country’s best songwriters.”

In 2011, Omar returned to live as a honored musician in his hometown of Marshall, Texas at the request of the mayor, who declared the town “The Boogie Woogie Capital” upon Omar’s return.

Phil Givant
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​Inducted 2010 Bio

(?? – 2002)

PHIL GIVANT was one of the seminal figures in Sacramento blues history and over a lifetime earned a national reputation as a blues expert. He was a mathematics professor at American River College for 41 years and a “blues professor” for nearly that long, teaching countless numbers of blues fans through his radio shows and festival productions from the mid-1970’s until his passing in 2002.

Phil was a co-founder of the Sacramento Blues Society in 1979. It is said the first meeting was in the living room of his Carmichael home. Phil cofounded the Sacramento Blues Festival in 1976, one of the few major blues festivals in the nation at that time. He produced the annual festivals from 1976 to 1993.

​Johnny “GUITAR” Knox

​Inducted 2010 Bio

(1950 – 2016)

Born in Oakland, California in 1950, Johnny was the oldest child in a family led by Jack Knox, a local guitarist and former radio personality who had broadcast from his home as a teenager in the 1 9 4 0 ’ s . His dad encouraged him to learn music and he got his first guitar at the age of 14. Johnny moved to Sacramento to play the blues and while watching and playing with Little Charlie Baty and Rick Estrin, he started honing his skills in harmonica accompaniment. This prompted them to head down to Moon Studio to record their new 45’s. With Little Charlie and the Nightcats backing him in the studio, Johnny recorded the Muddy Waters classic “Honey Bee”, as well as Freddie King’s “Tore Down”, which Johnny re-released as a CD in 2010. Like many of his peers from that era, Johnny was no stranger to substance abuse issues, and went through a long spell where he would hit the streets daily with his guitar for his daily hustle. Through local musician Ray “Catfish” Copeland, Johnny met Mike Balma, local blues promoter/producer, at the Chicago Blues Fest ‘91, who soon booked studio time for a record. With a mix of solo tracks as well as additional tracks with backing by upright bassist Greg Roberts, Rick Estrin on harmonica, and Copeland on guitar, the record was released as “Johnny Guitar Knox, Hoboin’,” and won an award in Denmark!

Local guitarist Kenny Marchese sums it up nicely when he says “Johnny gave his help and support to the Sacramento blues scene by teaching and encouraging the younger players, and Sacramento has returned the favor by helping Johnny recover what he had tossed.”

Mick Martin
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​Inducted 2010 Bio

MICK MARTIN has played blues harmonica professionally since 1968 and, since 1983, led “Mick Martin and the Blues Rockers.” Mick was an original co-founder of the Sacramento Blues Society, but had to rescind his presence due to conflicts of interest. He performed at Carnegie Hall for the nationally-broadcast “Blues in Jazz” concert with mentor Jimmy Smith, Jimmy Witherspoon, Grover Washington Jr., Carrie Smith and Mark Whitfield in 1994.

Mick shared the “Best West Coast Blues Harmonica Player” nod with Mark Hummel in 2001. Mick Martin and the Blues Rockers have won the Sacramento Area Music Award (a.k.a. the SAMMIES) for “Best Blues Band” three times, thus entitling them to a place in the SAMMIES Hall of Fame.

Mick has been producing and hosting the Blues for over 20 years, beginning with “The KZAP Blues Show” in August of 1989. He joined the staff of KXJZ in July 1991 to create “Mick Martin’s Blues Party,” currently heard on Saturdays from 1-5 p.m. Mick also serves as clinician for SBS Blues in the Schools program.

Johnny Heartsman

​Inducted 2008 Bio

(1937 – 1996)

A multi-talented musician, Johnny Heartsman was proficient in playing a variety of instruments and sang with a rich, mellow voice. He is instantly recognizable by the way he used the volume control on his guitar to make his trademark moan. Born in San Fernando, California in 1937, Johnny started making records when he was 16 years old for Bob Geddins in Oakland in the 1950’s.

Johnny played many instruments: the cello (his first instrument in high school), guitar, bass, piano and keyboards, organ, and blues flute. He was well respected while he toured in Europe and Japan.

He wrote, published, and recorded mostly his own music. His first hit was “Johnny’s House Party parts 1 and 2” in 1957. He has worked with Lowell Fulson, Tiny Powell, Al King, Joe Simon, Etta James, Jimmy McCracklin and many others. He received the Big Bill Broonzy award from the Academy of Jazz in France in 1990 for his album “Sacramento” which he recorded in Germany for CrossCut Records. Other albums (cds) include “Music of My Heart“, “The Touch” recorded at Alligator Records, and “Shine On” and “Still Shinin” recorded for Big Mike Balma in Sacramento. He also recorded albums with a group in Germany called Blues Company. He has influenced other musicians like Robert Cray and Joe Louis Walker. Johnny continued to be a versatile performer up to his death in Sacramento, CA in 1996.

Gene Chambers

​Inducted 2008 Bio

(1936 – 2008)

Gene Chambers was a longtime Sacramento blues musician, teacher and mentor had always cared deeply about the blues scene and blues musicians around our area.

He was born in September 1936 in a small town called Coffeyville, Kansas. He started playing blues with his first guitar in the Air Force while being stationed in Japan. From that time on, his love for playing the blues never ceased. He was in the off-duty legendry band called The House Rockers and the Sensations throughout his duty in Japan, traveling to many Airforce bases and entertaining servicemen and their families. After almost a decade stay in Japan, he returned to the US to Austin, Texas. Here he played with locally well known Joe Valentines Band until his retirement from the USAF. After settling in Sacramento, he formed The Bits and Pieces Band where he continued playing the blues. He truly enjoyed playing the blues while sharing his talents and expertise with young blues musicians in Sacramento area and helping to promote the Sacramento Blues Society.

Gene passed away in January, 2008 but his deep love of blues echoes today as seen in the Gene Chambers Musicians Crisis Fund which was established to help continue his deep concern and love for fellow blues musicians in a time of need.

Arbess Williams

​Inducted 2008

Arbess has been singing since she was 15 years old and is still singing the blues today to inspire people from every way of life. Arbess started singing in her church in San Diego in her childhood, and then went on to singing the blues which she calls “deep down thing”. She sang at Tahoe while she had a barber job and also sang with Johnny Heartsman for quite a while “learning a lot” from him. Together they recorded, “I Just Want to Party All Night” for Mercy Me! Records. Her backup band for many years was a group from Sacramento known as The Luminators (Lew Fratis, Dave Garrity & Pat Balcom).

Today “blues diva” Arbess is continuing to sing and “make a connection with people of all ages and backgrounds. Arbess states, “Blues was created here. It’s real American music —it’s spiritual and I like to sing to a mixture of people. Blues music is a universal language, and I like to have a little bit for everybody. (By Kimiko Chambers From Living Blues Magazine, No. 114, April 1994)

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