Curtis Salgado
Friday, 26 June 2009 18:38
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(photo by Ross Hamilton
courtesy of Double Tee Productions
c/o Shane Tappendorf
10 NW 6th Ave.
Portland, OR 97209
221-0288
Official Website for Curtis
Muddy Awards:
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1989 Best Male Vocalist
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1990 Best Male Vocalist
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1991 Best Male Vocalist
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1991 The Stilettos won Best R&B Act
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1991 Inducted into the CBA Hall of Fame for Best Male Vocalist
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1992 The album "Curtis Salgado & the Stillettos" won Best National Recording (Tied w/ SRV's "The Sky Is Crying")
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1993 Best Blues harp
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1994 Best Male Vocalist
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1995 Best Male Vocalist
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1996 Best Male Vocalist
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1997 Best Male Vocalist
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1998 Best Male Vocalist (Tied w/ Lloyd Jones)
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1999 Best Male Vocalist
Related Links:
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CBA Music Review: Soul Activated
The Official Salgado Bio...
Curtis Salgado's illustrious career spans 23 years. He has played a major role in the evolution of the modern blues scene. He was the inspiration for John Belushi's creation of the Blues Brothers. He coined the phrase "Master of the Telecaster" for Albert Collins, and he sang lead vocals and played harmonica with the Robert Cray Band, and was frontman for the national blues act, Roomful of Blues.
Singer/songwriter/harmonica player, Curtis Salgado was born in Everett, Washington in 1954, and moved to Eugene, Oregon, at the age of one with his family where he lived for the next 24 years listening to blues and jazz. His father, a jazz enthusiast and an aspiring classical singer, helped develop Curtis' musical abilities at an early age. In his early teens, Salgado was inspired especially by Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, and was quickly leaning toward a blues orientation.
In 1972, Curtis formed his first band, Three Fingered Jack, which eventually turned into a band called the Nighthawks in 1974. The Nighthawks were prominent on the 70s local blues scene for several years. In 1976, Salgado joined the Robert Cray Band, where he sang lead and played harmonica for six years.
In 1979, while John Belushi was in Eugene filming "Animal House," he was taken by surprise when he saw Salgado's show, and finally they met. Salgado inspired Belushi to form his Blues Brothers act with Dan Akroyd, and Belushi dedicated the Blues Brothers album to Salgado. Belushi borrowed the songs, the between song raps, and even the sunglasses.
In 1982, before the Robert Cray Band rose to national fame, Salgado left the band and moved to Portland where he formed a new band, In Yo Face. In 1984, Salgado joined the Grammy Award-winning Boston band, Roomful of Blues, where he continued to sing lead and play harmonica for two years.
In 1986, Curtis returned to Portland and formed the Stilettos with bassist John Mazzocco, a veteran of John Lee Hooker's Coast to Coast Blues Band. The band quickly dominated the local music scene, and soon after began to establish a national audience by touring extensively as an opening act for such major bands as the Steve Miller Band, Doobie Brothers, and appearing at major blues festivals nationwide. Salgado also performed as a guest artist on stage with Bonnie Raitt, Robert Cray, Muddy Waters, Albert King, B.B. King, Bobby Blue Bland, and Albert Collins, and many others.
Curtis Salgado's soulful and riveting live shows continue to establish him as one of the country's most exciting performers. He makes his mark by delivering an electrifying stage performance with dynamic vocals and vibrant harmonica playing.
In 1991, Curtis Salgado released his first solo album with the Stilettos. The self-titled album, was critically and commercially acclaimed. The album is further testimony to Salgado's superb songwriting abilities, showcasing five of his own songs.
The 1995 release of Curtis Salgado's second album, More Than You Can Chew, further establishes his reputation as one of the country's most innovative modern blues performers. His powerhouse fusion of blues, rock & roll, funk, soul and gospel, makes Salgado's music an inspirational model for a new blues sound.
During the spring of 1995, Curtis Salgado embarked on a major national tour with Santana. Curtis was the featured lead singer and harmonica player during the tour.
For 1996, Curtis is booked for several blues festivals during the summer, and to base out of the Portland area while working on a new blues album.