PAT SMILLIE - LEAD VOCALS;
TORONZO CANNON - GUITAR & VOCALS;
CHUCK CRANE - GUITAR & VOCALS;
AL WITTEK - GUITAR & LAP STEEL;
ALTON WOODLEY - KEYBOARDS;
JOHN MEREDITH - BASS;
ARTHUR "SAMBO" IRBY - DRUMS & VOCALS;
TINA HOWELL - VOCALS;
ASHLEY STEVENSON - VOCALS
Influences
A very diverse group...Ray Charles; Chuck Berry; James Brown; Joe Cocker; Mitch Ryder; Bob Seger; Rod Stewart; Otis Redding; Wilson Pickett; Stevie Wonder, Greg Allman; The Band; Bob Dylan; Prince; Janis Joplin; John Fogerty; Al Green; The Temptations; The Four Tops; Muddy Waters; The Rockets; Tom Waits; Lucinda Williams; Willie Nelson; Vance Kelly; Booker T. & The M.G.s; Motown; Stax; Rolling Stones; Tyrone Davis and Tina Turner!
These folks made GREAT records that I learned from. Thanks for the music!
Finally, I would also like to thank The Electrifying Mojo for his legendary radio broadcasts on WJLB!! That was some deep shit!!!
Sounds Like
Joe Cocker; Van Morrison; Temptations; Mitch Ryder; Delbert McClinton; Steve Winwood; Bob Seger; Otis Redding; Ray Charles; Smokey Robinson; J.J. Cale
PAT SMILLIE:
Born in Detroit on Valentines Day 1969, Pat’s musical memories stretch back to age 5 when he would listen to music in the car with his father. He fell in love with the music of classic Motown singers like Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Levi Stubbs (of The Four Tops), and Detroit’s original blue-eyed soul shouter: Mitch Ryder!
Pat’s interest in performing and writing songs developed throughout his teens. At age 15, he began making music with assorted friends and relatives. By age 18, he had joined his first garage band.
Around this time, Pat also began collecting the recordings of his favorite vocalists. He would spend the better part of the next decade immersed in the classic recordings of legendary Blues and R&B artists like Ray Charles, James Brown, Howlin’ Wolf, Chuck Berry, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Al Green, Etta James and Joe Cocker. In the process, Smillie would amass an almost encyclopedic knowledge of “useless liner note trivia” but, most importantly, he also began to find his own voice.
In 1992, Smillie moved to Chicago where soon he was being invited on stage to sing in blues joints across the city. In 1996, Pat booked his first headlining gig at The Tyrone Davis Entertainment Center (with Tyrone’s blessing). Over the years, Pat Smillie has opened shows for national touring artists including Koko Taylor (“The Queen of the Blues”), The Robert Cray Band, Jim Belushi & Dan Aykroyd, Bobby Rush, and Andre Williams.
In 2001, Chicago R&B legend, Tyrone Davis, joined the band on stage for a few songs. Pat and his background singers (Renee Ruffin-Merrill and Tina Howell) provided back-up vocals for Mr. Davis as he performed “Turning Point”, “Turn Back the Hands of Time”, and “Mom’s Apple Pie”.
In May 2003, Pat celebrated the release of Letter to Hampton (FBM 1001). The disc featured guest appearances from Chicago blues stalwarts Jimmy Burns and Vance “Guitar” Kelly. In March/April 2004, the album cracked Living Blues magazine’s TOP 25 album chart - garnishing airplay on blues radio programs across the United States.
In January 2006, Pat Smillie teamed up again with co-producer, Bud Johnson (of Red Brick Recording) to record 6 new original songs and a handful of cover tunes. The resulting album, Down by the River (FBM 1002), features the first new studio recordings from the band in over 3 years. Special guest appearances include contributions from Corky Siegel, Alice Stuart, and the Chicago Playboys Horns.
WildClaw Theatre's zombie thriller THE REVENANTS receives rave reviews from CHICAGO TRIBUNE, TIMEOUT, WINDY CITY TIMES, FREE PRESS, CHICAGO READER, STEADSTYLE, KILLER-WORKS, WINDY CITY HORROR, HORROR SOCIETY...
Come see what all the screaming and shambling is about!
WildClaw Theatre presents THE REVENANTS by Scott T. Barsotti April 20 - May 24th Directed by Anne Adams Starring Brian Amidei, Ryan Patrick Dolan, Laura Hooper and Jenny Strubin Angel Island Theatre (Mary Arrchie space) 735 W. Sheridan Rd., Chicago Thurs - Sat 7:30pm, Sun 3pm http://www.wildclawtheatre.com
Tickets are going fast, so make your undead plans TODAY! (only three weeks left!)
