Hall of Fame

2018 Inductees

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.