Guitarist Doyle Bramhall II back for Sonoma County Blues and Arts Festival in Rohnert Park
When he was 14, Doyle Bramhall II spent almost every free moment honing his guitar skills in his family's Santa Rosa home or rifling through stacks of vinyl at The Last Record Store.
When he was 15, he was sharing the stage with one of the world's greatest guitarists, Stevie Ray Vaughan, at the Concord Pavilion.
Doyle Bramhall II isn't quite a household name yet - he's not nearly as well known as his girlfriend of several years, the actor Renee Zellweger.
But the talented guitarist - who recently released his first album in 15 years and plays Saturday, Aug. 19, at the Sonoma County Blues & Arts Festival - may be much better known soon.
“I felt the first time I heard Doyle - he was 16 - that there was something special going on. That feeling still stays with me every time I hear him play,” said KRSH radio personality Bill Bowker. “There is so much depth to his playing.”
“Many respected guitar players cite him as one of the best: He showed Eric Clapton how to play a Robert Johnson lick a while back,” Bowker said.
Growing up, Bramhall moved frequently between California and Texas. The son of Austin-based drummer Doyle Bramhall, the younger Bramhall grew up around rock and blues royalty, most notably Stevie Ray Vaughan and his older brother, Jimmie Vaughan.
When asked why he hadn't released an album in so long, Bramhall simply said he got some gigs with other artists. Those other artists happened to be Pink Floyd's Roger Waters, guitar god Eric Clapton and blues monarch B.B. King.
Bramhall's latest album, “Rich Man,” came out last fall and blends down-home blues, funk and retro soul with a dash of international flavor.
In a phone interview in late July, Bramhall spoke about growing up in Santa Rosa and coming home to play at the Sonoma County Blues & Arts Festival at SOMO Village in Rohnert Park, starring harmonica virtuoso Charlie Musselwhite.
Q. When did you come to Santa Rosa?Q. Was it hard to move back and forth between California and Texas?Q. Did you get that gig through Jimmie Vaughan, who was in the Fabulous Thunderbirds?Q. What was it like to be onstage with Stevie Ray Vaughan when you were just 15?Q. I'm sure you've worked hard on your craft, but your playing seems so effortless; did music come easily for you?Q. What was it like to work with Clapton and B.B. King on the album “Riding with the King”?Q. You released albums in the late 1990s and early 2000s, then waited 15 years to release your latest collection, “Rich Man” – why?Q. Five or six years ago was when your dad died – did that have anything to do with your decision to pursue your own path?Q. Your new album has a retro soul vibe, some rock, a healthy helping of blues and your guitar pyrotechnics. It defies easy labeling – does that make it harder to sell?Q. You've traveled to remote places the past few years – has this changed your worldview?Q. Why did you call the new album “Rich Man”?Q. Are you looking forward to returning to Sonoma County?
A. My mom and stepfather moved me and my sister to Santa Rosa from Dallas, Texas. I was six when we moved in 1974 and lived in Santa Rosa on and off until 1994.
This is where I got my start in music through my friend Bill Bowker who sort of took me under his wing and got me to play with the Sonoma County Blues Society. He was always promoting me.
A. It was almost like growing up in a military family: I went to a lot of different schools. When I finally got on the road and started touring internationally (at age 18 with the Fabulous Thunderbirds), it was like home.
A. I was told the reason that I got the Thunderbirds gig originally was through Stevie, because I'd been sitting in with him.
He was a huge champion of mine and called Jimmie because they were looking for a second guitarist. But Jimmie said I got the gig because he liked the way I dressed.
A. I grew up with Stevie and Jimmie. Jimmie was at the hospital when I was born. They were like family, … so I never felt intimidated by him (Stevie).
But I was intimidated the first time I got up with him because it was in front of 15,000 people (at the Concord Pavilion).
A. Music has always been a very natural thing to me. I didn't spend too much time, after the bedroom years, just sitting in my room practicing.
Basically all of my 14th year was when I practiced. Then when I was 15, I started getting gigs in Northern California and touring with different bands, mostly blues bands.
I stopped doing very well in school because I was more interested in music. I felt like school started getting in the way of me playing and touring more, and I seemed to be making a really good living in music at 15.
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