Roger Levesque for The Edmonton Journal
Bishop’s story isn’t the first in which the musical explorations of a curious teenager led to a lifelong career. But at 72, this veteran guitarist and singer can’t think of a better way to stay busy than playing the music he loves. He still jets out to perform somewhere nearly every weekend.
Born in California but raised in Iowa and Oklahoma, Bishop was an easy convert to rock ‘n’ roll before he heard the blues. A five-year stint with the famous Butterfield Blues Band during the mid-1960s helped launch his career before he hit the pop charts leading his own band on Fooled Around And Fell In Love in 1976. More recent sets for have won him renewed popularity with blues fans.
Last year’s release Can’t Even Do Wrong Right (his 20th studio album) found the bluesman in excellent form, reunited with old friends, using his slide technique and good humour to garner seven Blues Music Award nominations (he won for Best Album, Best Song and Best Band), and winning the Living Blues Award for Best Album. He was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last spring as part of the Butterfield band.
Read the full preview and Q&A at The Edmonton Journal
Elvin Bishop on TKA