Henderson Huggins (piano double for TYRONE PURVIS, played by Danny Glover) is a native of Holt, Alabama. He began piano lessons at a very young age at the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind, moving on to become a noted stylist in multiple genres. He crossed the country with several different bands in the 60’s and 70’s, doing session work in recording studios and backing artists such as Sam and Dave and Johnnie Taylor. Off the road in recent years, he has become a popular blues arranger and professional piano tuner, as well as playing organ and serving as Minister of Music at the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in his present home town of Tuscaloosa.
Arthur Lee Williams (METALMOUTH SIMMS) is a native of Tunica, Mississippi. As a boy he moved to Chicago with his family, and there, inspired by such neighborhood greats as Sonny Boy Williamson II and Little Walter, taught himself to play harmonica. He began gigging in the mid ‘50s, sitting in with luminaries such as Muddy Waters, Elmore James and Eddie Taylor. He returned to Mississippi and his country roots after high school, breaking in on Memphis radio with Barber Parker and the Silver Kings and played countless dates in juke joints and roadhouses similar to the one depicted in HONEYDRIPPER, eventually partnering with Frank Frost and Sam Carr on several blues records. Relocating to St. Louis in the early ‘70s, he formed the Bluesmasters and became a vital part of the Midwestern music scene.
www.stlblues.net/WilliamsBio.htm
Dr. Mable John (BERTHA MAE SPIVEY) was born in Louisiana and raised in Detroit. Following her younger brother, Little Willie John, she recorded as a solo artist for the Tamla and Stax labels, scoring her first major hit in 1966 with the soul classic YOUR GOOD THING IS ABOUT TO END, which she cowrote. She served for several years as director of Ray Charles’ backup group, the Raelettes, often performing with them, and created her own music publishing and talent agency. Now a Doctor of Divinity, Mable is pastor of the Joy in Jesus Ministries and supervises outreach programs that provide aid and counseling for people in the Los Angeles area, as well as writing and recording religious music. In 1994 the Rhythm and Blues Foundation presented her with its Pioneer Award.
MableJohn.com
Gary Clark Jr. (SONNY BLAKE), recently named Best Blues Artist at the Austin Music Awards, is one of the most exciting young guitarists in the country. Self-taught, he hit the Texas music scene in 1998 at the age of fourteen, and since has opened for talents such as Gatemouth Brown, Jimmie Vaughan, Bobby Bland and Joe Ely, while steadily building a substantial club following of his own. A singer/songwriter who also plays bass, harmonica and drums, Gary is working on his fourth and most ambitious CD and has begun to write soundtrack music for films. HONEYDRIPPER is his first appearance in a movie.
GaryClarkJr.com/ MySpace.com/GaryClarkJr
Eddie Shaw (TIME TRENIER) has played his tenor sax with many of the legends of the blues, including Hound Dog Taylor, Freddie King, Otis Rush, Muddy Waters and a long run with Howlin Wolf. He continued with many of the members of that band to form the Wolf Gang. His son Eddie ‘Vaan’ Shaw is a guitarist, while his son Stan Shaw has become a highly-regarded film actor. While Eddie’s appearance in HONEYDRIPPER is his first film work, he has long been known for his dramatic, powerful playing style.
MidCoast.com/~bluesman/eddie_shaw.html
My new short film “MERRY CHRISTMAS” is in an important Film Festival called CINEMAD (Madrid, SPAIN). You can see, vote and comment the film in the myspace of the Festival in the video section: http://www.myspace.com/cinemadfest
Hello to all in Honeydripper. Thanks for inviting me as a friend. Congrat to you on your film. Also, thanks for your wonderful videos. Very talented group of artist. Julian Sage Miyata (& family)
