The story so far has been mine and explains why I was compelled to make the long journey to London to be a part of the crowning event in Joe Bonamassa’s career. I know that it is truly a new beginning. Joe’s story is much more complex and many know his story of opening for BB King at twelve. His stint in the band Bloodline and his solo career that started in 2000. Really 20 years toiling at his craft. Changeing his band his stage show and his style of playing. All things that played apart in his rise in popularity.

I remeber his first trip to Europe and how well he did. The Rockpalast appearance latter released on DVD. The feeling that he was really going to break there first. Something about American Blues Based artists being better received much better there than here. I don’t know all the pieces of the puzzle that came together to make not only the date possible but to sell it out in 6 days. I only know that it was a much deserved that Joe made every lucky break he recieved. My friend Mike Williams has a saying about the harder I work the luckier I get. Well that my friends is Joe.

Joe also has enormous talent and a penchant for striking a nerve in us older music lovers who tend to gravitate towards sounds we grew up with. His Blues in the Schools appearances were also instrumental in bringing his music to a younger generation and the Guitar Hero Living Legend monniker that his frequent appearances on guitar magazines has cultivated. All of this brought about by his ability to absolutley tear the guitar up. He once told me that the difference in a guitar players is the number of tricks in their bag. Well Joe’s bag is the size of St Nicks.

He has the ability to wring out emotion in his playing. He also has good taste. He just knows how to reach an audience. I still have yet to witness another performer that is in his leauge since I first saw him. I have gone on to promote other artists and have enjoyed many of them. But I still get a thrill like no other when I’m in the house when Joe is on stage. He has morphed a bit over the years into an act befitting theatres not bars. The band is more polished less edgy than it was as a three piece but Joe has that way of bringing out the best of those around him.

Joe’s success in Europe especially the UK doen’t concern me that he will end up touring exclusivley abroad. I know that his plan is to keep working the US market until he has just as large a fan base here as over there. I am just as motivated as I was to help see that happens. I still provide him with a stop on his way into Texas and occasionally when he crosses the country coast to coast. Which really was one of the goals I set early on. He has a solid fanbase here. I have gone on to promote many other artists and research music marketing along with Phil in order to apply new techniques to building Joe’s fan base.

I started out a member of Joe’s Street Team and continue to be a fan first but have over the years built a friendship that I hope will last a lifetime. I feel that Joe has done more for me than I have ever done for him. He inspired me to do things that I never thought would be possible for a paint contractor in middle America. I have been a part of something global. Something that is as hard to achieve as playing in the major leauges. Well Joe has made the show. He is a rising star in the music world only time will tell if he makes the Hall of Fame. If you ask me he will.