Levi Lloyd’s death leaves hole in Sonoma County music scene

The Sonoma County music community took a hard shot to the solar plexus last week when veteran blues guitar player and much-loved band leader Levi Lloyd died unexpectedly Feb. 1 at age 70.

The news spread quickly that a dear member of the tribe was gone.

Lloyd’s daughter, Samantha, said her dad’s cause of death is still undetermined, but signs pointed to heart failure.

“He liked to stay private with that stuff. He wanted to stay strong for the rest of us,” she said.

The very recognizable Lloyd, with his handsome toothy grin and ever-present cowboy hat, played a superb style of guitar. His bands played the blues, certainly, but also touched upon anything good: funk, rock, soul, reggae and even country. Audiences were very content to sit and listen to his tasteful leads but usually seemed to prefer to dance.

His bandmates, an ever-changing lineup of talented and fortunate Sonoma County players, had the best seats in the house to witness his talents. They were lucky to be in Lloyd’s band because he was a very generous band leader. If a member of Lloyd’s band wanted to sing, they were given the mic. He was the band leader in name but not ego.

Lloyd was a resident of Santa Rosa, having moved there in 1995 from Oakland where he spent his high school years. Born at Fort Lee, Virginia, into a military family, Lloyd referred to himself as an “Army brat.” Growing up, he spent time living in Germany, France and Bavaria. He once said, “I was born in a trunk… that’s pretty much it.”

At home, his parents exposed him to music like country, the blues, big band, jazz, and rhythm and blues. Lloyd began singing for the public at the tender age of 12.

“I picked up the guitar at 17, self-taught,” he said.

Samantha remembered her father’s stories about his early days as a band leader. When he was a student at Oakland Tech High School, his band was hired to perform at a local Catholic school’s dance. As the nun introduced the group, the crowd of students began to laugh uncontrollably. At the time, Lloyd’s band was called “The Sounds of Uranus,” and the outraged and embarrassed nun demanded that the musicians leave the stage and canceled their performance for the night.

Samantha said that, early on, “music really gave him comfort.” Apparently, it was also an avenue to have some fun.

After graduating from Oakland Tech and nearby Laney College, Lloyd hit the road. He once said, “Hawaii for four years, the Northwest for another 12 years. Went to Japan, Canada, Vegas, Tahoe… out on the dusty trail, I was a real road dog.”

Eventually he headed to Sonoma County, guitar and amp in hand. To pay the bills, he got a “real job” with the County of Sonoma as an alcohol and drug counselor. The musician was proud of his 22 years of sobriety. Samantha made it a point to say her father “changed many lives” during his tenure at the Orenda Center, a residential treatment center in Santa Rosa.

It was his music that allowed Lloyd to change many other lives. Over the years, he became a stalwart player in the area. Regular gigs at Brewster’s and the Washoe House in Petaluma and Murphy’s Irish Pub in Sonoma gave fans ample opportunities to see and hear from the beloved musician.

Lloyd, with his warm baritone voice and personal, engaging performance style, was an audience favorite. He was a very strong player who attracted other talented performers -- some of the very best in the area. The result was always irresistibly danceable.

Lloyd was a guitarist’s guitarist, a musician’s musician, and a band leader’s band leader. He quietly showed everyone how it’s done. He was a consummate host who let the guests share the limelight.

Along with getting audiences up and dancing, Samantha said, “He really loved seeing other people being happy. That’s what he loved about performing so much, he loved seeing smiles on people’s faces. It just really made him happy. It was a two-way street.”

She added, “He had a beautiful partnership with the audience”

In addition to Samantha, 25, he leaves behind an adult “son” in Chris Hansen whom Lloyd met when the boy was 7.

“My dad loved Chris like a son,” Samantha said.

Social media lit up when locals heard the news of Lloyd’s death. Many wrote of Lloyd’s uncommon friendliness while most simply expressed deep sorrow at the loss to the county’s music scene.

All the post shared one general theme: Levi Lloyd was a well-loved and much-admired individual. Samantha said, “He was the best dad I could ever ask for.”

Knowing she shared her dad with the rest of us, she added, “We are planning on having a big celebration with all his musical friends. So many people loved him, he needs to be celebrated.”

The memorial’s date had not been announced as of press time.

Tim Curley is a longtime Sonoma County musician, a former teacher and the music columnist for the Sonoma Index-Tribune.