Roy Rogers (guitarist)
Encyclopedia
Roy Rogers is an American
blues rock slide guitar
ist and record producer
. He was named after the singing cowboy, Roy Rogers
. Rogers plays a variety of guitar styles related to the Delta blues
, but is most often recognized for his virtuoso slide work.
's Coast to Coast Band. Rogers produced four John Lee Hooker recordings; ' The Healer' ; Mr. Lucky; Boom Boom and "Chill Out." He also produced two Grammy nominated recordings for Ramblin' Jack Elliott entitled "Friends of Mine" and "A Long Ride." Roy also co-wrote "Gnawnin' On It" which was nominated for 'Best Female Rock Vocal for Bonnie Raitt, a long time friend and collaborator.
Rogers has performed and/or recorded with for a diverse spectrum of artists
including Linda Ronstadt
, Sammy Hagar
, Bonnie Raitt
, Zucchero
, John Gorka
and Ramblin' Jack Elliott
, and Elvin Bishop, Carlos Santana, and Steve Miller. Since 1980, Rogers has also fronted his own trio
, The Delta Rhythm Kings. In 2003, Roger's own Slideways reached number 3 on Billboard's
'Split Decision' also charted in 2009. chart
for "Top Blues Albums." He has also been nominated for 'Best Blues Guitar Instrumentalist" by The Blues Foundation. Other awards include those from France and Austrilia with long time friend Norton Buffalo
. His current release in May 2011 is a collaboration with The Doors co-founder Ray Manzarek
entitled 'Translucent Blues' which will be released by Blind Pig Records in May 2011. His releases have been received worldwide, as he has been touring Europe, Brazil, Australia, Scandinavia since 1982.
Rogers has a brawny way with a lyric
, and his command of slide styles is as extensive as anyone's.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
blues rock slide guitar
Slide guitar
Slide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
ist and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
. He was named after the singing cowboy, Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers, born Leonard Franklin Slye , was an American singer and cowboy actor, one of the most heavily marketed and merchandised stars of his era, as well as being the namesake of the Roy Rogers Restaurants franchised chain...
. Rogers plays a variety of guitar styles related to the Delta blues
Delta blues
The Delta blues is one of the earliest styles of blues music. It originated in the Mississippi Delta, a region of the United States that stretches from Memphis, Tennessee in the north to Vicksburg, Mississippi in the south, Helena, Arkansas in the west to the Yazoo River on the east. The...
, but is most often recognized for his virtuoso slide work.
Career
In the 1980s Rogers was a member of John Lee HookerJohn Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
's Coast to Coast Band. Rogers produced four John Lee Hooker recordings; ' The Healer' ; Mr. Lucky; Boom Boom and "Chill Out." He also produced two Grammy nominated recordings for Ramblin' Jack Elliott entitled "Friends of Mine" and "A Long Ride." Roy also co-wrote "Gnawnin' On It" which was nominated for 'Best Female Rock Vocal for Bonnie Raitt, a long time friend and collaborator.
Rogers has performed and/or recorded with for a diverse spectrum of artists
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
including Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
, Sammy Hagar
Sammy Hagar
Sam Roy "Sammy" Hagar , also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Also sings Country Music....
, Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
, Zucchero
Zucchero
Adelmo Fornaciari, Commander , more commonly known by his stage name Zucchero Fornaciari or simply Zucchero /ˈtsukkero/, is an Italian rock singer. His music is largely inspired by gospel, blues and rock music, and alternates between ballads and more rhythmic boogie-like pieces.Zucchero is the...
, John Gorka
John Gorka
John Gorka is a contemporary American folk musician. In 1991, Rolling Stone magazine called him "the preeminent male singer-songwriter of what has been dubbed the New Folk Movement."-Biography:...
and Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Ramblin' Jack Elliott is an American folk singer and performer.-Life and career:Elliot Charles Adnopoz was born in Brooklyn, New York to Jewish parents in 1931. Elliott grew up inspired by the rodeos at Madison Square Garden, and wanted to be a cowboy...
, and Elvin Bishop, Carlos Santana, and Steve Miller. Since 1980, Rogers has also fronted his own trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
, The Delta Rhythm Kings. In 2003, Roger's own Slideways reached number 3 on Billboard's
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
'Split Decision' also charted in 2009. chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
for "Top Blues Albums." He has also been nominated for 'Best Blues Guitar Instrumentalist" by The Blues Foundation. Other awards include those from France and Austrilia with long time friend Norton Buffalo
Norton Buffalo
Norton Buffalo was a singer-songwriter, country and blues harmonica player, record producer, bandleader and recording artist best known as a versatile exponent of the harmonica, including chromatic and diatonic....
. His current release in May 2011 is a collaboration with The Doors co-founder Ray Manzarek
Ray Manzarek
Raymond Daniel Manzarek, Jr., better known as Ray Manzarek , is an American musician, singer, producer, film director, writer, co-founder and keyboardist of The Doors from 1965 to 1973, Nite City from 1977–1978 and Manzarek-Krieger since 2001.Manzarek is listed #4 on Digital Dreamdoor's "100...
entitled 'Translucent Blues' which will be released by Blind Pig Records in May 2011. His releases have been received worldwide, as he has been touring Europe, Brazil, Australia, Scandinavia since 1982.
Rogers has a brawny way with a lyric
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
, and his command of slide styles is as extensive as anyone's.
Discography
- Rogers And Burgin: A Foot In The Door (1976 Waterhouse Records)
- Chops Not Chaps (1986, Blind Pig RecordsBlind Pig RecordsBlind Pig Records is an American blues record label.Blind Pig was formed in 1977 in Ann Arbor, Michigan by Jerry Del Giudice, owner of the Blind Pig Cafe, and his friend Edward Chmelewski. The label is now based in San Francisco...
) - Slidewinder (1988, Blind Pig Records)
- Blues on the Range (1989, Blind Pig Records)
- R&B with Norton Buffalo (1991, Blind Pig Records)
- Slidewinder (1992, Blind Pig Records)
- Travellin' Tracks with Norton Buffalo (1992, Blind Pig Records)
- Slide of Hand (1993, LibertyLiberty RecordsLiberty Records was a United States-based record label. It was started by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.-1950s:...
) - Slide Zone (1994, CapitolCapitol RecordsCapitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
) - Rhythm & Groove (1996, PointblankPoint Blank RecordsPoint Blank Records is a record label subsidiary of Virgin Records.Point Blank Records was founded in 1998 by John Wooler. Wooler served as Deputy Head of A&R at Virgin Records UK from 1984-1994 and Senior Vice President of Virgin Records US from 1994-2002. He had a passion for blues, Americana...
) - Pleasure & Pain (1998, PointblankPoint Blank RecordsPoint Blank Records is a record label subsidiary of Virgin Records.Point Blank Records was founded in 1998 by John Wooler. Wooler served as Deputy Head of A&R at Virgin Records UK from 1984-1994 and Senior Vice President of Virgin Records US from 1994-2002. He had a passion for blues, Americana...
) - Everybody's Angel (1999, Roshan)
- Slideways (2002, Evidence)
- Roots of Our Nature'with Norton Buffalo (2002, Blind Pig Records)
- Live! At The Sierra Nevada Brewery Big Room (2004, Chops Not Chaps)
- The Best of Two Slide Zone and Slide of Hand (2007, Chops Not Chaps)
- Ballads Before The Rain' with Ray Manzarek (2008, Friday Music)
- Split Decision (2009, Blind Pig Records)
- 'Translucent Blues Manzarek/Rogers Band (2011, Blind Pig Records)
External links
- "Roy Rogers - The Slide Zone" - official web site