At 58 I finally catch a break
 

This guy moves back home from L.A. because his wife is sick, comes into a local club and catches me playing in a local band. Later he contacts me and wants to put me in as full time bassist. The idea of playing over seas jobs is a little intimidating, but I think this may be my last and best shot. Although he is big outside the states, we are looking to do U.S. dates more because of his need to stay closer to home because of his wifes illness. He also wants my drummer to come on board. That works for me as Sam and I are kinda joined at the hip as a rhythm section. I also love trios, I work my ass off all night but it is as basic a you can get. I also like the 3 way split, because he is not paying us as sidemen but full members. Studio in January. It sure will be nice to play big venues again. Since moving to this small town in W. PA from Clearwater FL I have been playing in 3 local bands and in little clubs to three drunks in bib overalls and a girl with one arm.


"Rich Harper, born and raised in Ellwood City PA, learned to play blues guitar the traditional way by primarily being self-taught listening to and learning from the recordings of artists like Eric Clapton, B. B. King, Rory Gallagher, Freddy King, Duane Allman, and so on. Rich developed his own slide style using the same Coricidin medicine bottle as Duane Allman. After paying his "blues dues" in small blue collar towns throughout Pennsylvania, Rich moved to Los Angeles to gather like minded musicians and formed the Rich Harper Blues Band. With the success of their debut CD, "Don't Think Just Play", the Rich Harper Blues Band was not only selected as one of Amazon.com's prestigious "Emerging New Blues Artists", but Taxim Records, a German label, joined the group's growing list of blues fans by placing another cut, "She's On Her Way Up", on their compilation album titled "More Disaster City Blues". It wasn't long before the band’s name was popping up in blues magazines everywhere and blues societies were urging their members to check out the exciting new group who were carving out a unique niche for themselves in the blues world. By the time the band released their second CD, "Bottled Up Blues", Europe had jumped on board by making the band the #1 selling artists in Switzerland on Amazon's charts. Radio stations worldwide welcomed the new CD with open arms and this time one of the cuts, "As She Moved In (My Guitar Moved Out)", topped Rolling Stone Magazine's "MP3 & More Blues Chart" at #1. The international blues scene stood up, did a double take, and these talented artists haven't stopped since. Since then, the band has toured the world, including their adoptive countries of Scandinavia, and such exotic locales as Asia and Australia. They were also humbled and extremely honored to be part of a group that entertained the troops in Iraq in 2004. Rich's tours of 2009 will include Taiwan & Thailand (February), Norway, Denmark & Sweden (May) & Taiwan, Japan, China, Singapore & Australia (Pacific Rim - October)."


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1238161874.jpg

http://www.richharper.com
http://cdbaby.com/all/richharper
http://www.myspace.com/richharperband
http://www.isound.com/rich_harper_band
http://www.airplaydirect.com/RichHarperBand
http://www.mp3.com.au/richharperband

Good for you!
-Chris

your packing as I type right..
Groupies at 58..better late than never..
congrat's..

Rika

Hell with groupies....now roadies....bring em!

That is so great to hear...let me know if you get within three hours or so and I'll come see you guys play.

All the best, Dave.

ROCK ON

Congratulations!

Thanks Paul. I not getting overly excited yet. The rehearsals so far have been great. Just 3 old white guys playing black music. working on domestic jobs is tough in this economy, so U.S. booking is light so far. The overseas jobs are hot though. I just may have to renew my passport yet. He has been doing a "Chuck Berry" with over seas jobs, hiring locals as it is really expensive to ship the band. I'm OK with that but it would be nice to play warmer locations in the winter. I'm contacting all my old pals in FL for every blues festival in the state between Nov. and April.

For Blues you gotta come to Chicago.

Large Bluefest in June. Lots of Blue Clubs in the City.

Awesome.

Congrats.

Congrats. Have you guys tried to book for the Long Beach Blues Festival?

I think Rich has played that from when he and the old band were in Los Ganjales. Maybe a return would work. Any leads would be appreciated as I am doing the U.S. booking.

Congrats. Please let me know if you're going to be within a few hours of Seattle. I LOVE blues. LOVE.

I thought that was Willie photoshopped in from his early years.

Awesome! Congrats! Are you one of the trio pictured? We need to have a reference for when fame and fortune removes you from this board. ;)

he does kinda resemble a younger Willie don't he.

You guys are family, that will never happen. I'm the cat in the hat.

Congrats! Blues Festival in Chicago would be an awesome venue. Keep us posted. Hey Ruf-Porsche, I think you just gave away your location.:D;) hehehe

Chicago WOULD be cool. I mean Memphis and Chicago they are the meccas. maybe a night at Legends. I could die after that and not care. Well Ok recording at Sun or Chess...then I could die.

"Rich's tours of 2009 will include Taiwan & Thailand (February), Norway, Denmark & Sweden (May) & Taiwan, Japan, China, Singapore & Australia (Pacific Rim - October)."

Wow, some schedule. A big world out there...

Congrats!!

Check out http://www.lowellfolkfestival.org/

Lots of blues every year, largest free folk festival in the US... and I live at the epicenter. Come on up :)