| Willie Lomax was born
and raised in Miami, Florida. His father was a jazz drummer, playing
with Cannonball Adderley, Billy Eckstine, June Christy, Al Haig, George
Shaw & Blue Mitchell during the 1950's jazz scene in the Miami
- Ft. Lauderdale area, and the records of Cannonball, Miles Davis,
Count Basie and Duke Ellington would be on in the house night after
night. At age 9, Willie started on the trumpet, switching to the guitar
at age 18 when he moved to Tallahassee, Fl. The first song he performed
live was Muddy Waters' hit "Manish Boy" and, after seeing
Muddy live in Tallahassee the following year, the blues became an
integral part of Willie's life. Willie's
main musical influences can be found in Albert King, Buddy Guy,
Albert Collins, Johnny Guitar Watson, Frank Frost, Tiny Grimes,
Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Miles Davis and Ronnie Earl, although
Willie says he can list over a hundred influences when space permits.
Making Tampa, Florida home since 1985, Willie has
recorded and/or shared the stage with: Frank Frost, Sam Carr, Big
Jack Johnson, Carey Bell, Sam Myers, Arthur Williams, Super Chikan,
Ronnie Earl, James Peterson, Lucky Peterson, Eric Gales, Diamond
Teeth Mary, the Hi-Rythm section of Leroy Hodges and Howard Grimes,
Jerry Martini, Rock Bottom, Troy Turner, Walfredo reyes Jr. and
Shawn Brown.
Willie has played the Long Beach Blues Festival
featuring Robert Cray, the King Biscuit Blues Festival featuring
Albert King, the Rock Crusher Canyon Blues Festival featuring Buddy
Guy, the Riverwalk Blues Festival featuring Ronnie Earl and the
Tampa Bay Blues Festival featuring Delbert McClinton.
Willie's CD "GIVE ME BACK MY TEETH" charted
at #25 on the Living Blues National Radio Charts and garnered the
Real Blues Awards best independent release in 1996. His CD "RIBS
ARE READY" charted at # 16 on the Living Blues Radio Charts
and garnered three more Real Blues Awards, one for Shawn Brown as
vocalist of the year, best independent blues release and one for
best production. The disc also featured two Lomax originals which
appeared in the feature film "TULLY". Other songs from
the disc have appeared on THE CHRIS ISAAK SHOW and on numerous MTV
shows.
When The Lights Go
Out
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Willie has produced all of the recordings under
the Big Boss label as well as engineered many of the tracks and
is a voting member of the National Academy of Recording Arts &
Sciences for the Grammy Awards.
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