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Admittedly, The Joe Poppen Band has a tough time walking down the streets of Boston. Between the trademark mass of black curls crowning Joe's head and Black Betty's signature retro pinup appearance, the band is recognized frequently. That's alright- coming from a city that has sparked the careers of many popular blues rock artists, they think they're in good company.

Backed by an exciting, young band from across the globe, Joe Poppen delivers undeniably fresh and impressive blues, rock and soul while staying true to the roots of these genres. Together, Joe Poppen and Black Betty have shared the stage with Roomful of Blues, Tom Principato, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Bobby Parker, and Catfish Hodge, Everclear (Cuba), Peaches (Exotic Erotic Ball), Snoop Dog (Exotic Erotic Ball), Fabulous, Whitestar, and more.

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Having toured and played with blues and R&B legends including Bobby Parker, Memphis Gold, Charlie Sayles (Bill Monroe), Emmett Kittrell (Wilson Pickett), Ralph “Rowe” Oliver (Percy Sledge, Diana Washington), ElWarren (SPOON) Weatherspoon (Hall & Oates, LTD, Santana, Tracy Chapman), and more, his guitar playing has taken him around the world. Joe’s past tours include coast to coast on tour in the United States as well as Brazil, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, the Sinai Penninsula, the Azores Islands, Cuba, and beyond. Now Joe is leading his own band, comprised entirely of Berklee College of Music alumni and students, and is making audiences everywhere dance “till they can’t take it no more!”

Joe’s killer playing is complimented by lead vocalist Black Betty, who is also known as Boston’s favorite pinup model. "Black Betty carries her soul in her voice. It can cut straight through you. If I didn't know better, I would say she sold her soul to the Devil at the crossroads in Mississippi to get that talent," claims music enthusiast Daniel Stevens. “The little lady with the big voice,” proclaims the Boston Herald. Equally at ease with rock and blues, her energy is contagious as she works the crowd. She has been nominated as "Best Female Vocalist in Boston" by WBZ-Channel 4, competed in the Boston Blues Challenge two years in a row, and is even featured on the Rockabilly Hall of Fame website.

In 2003, Joe took a brief hiatus from the road to attend the prestigious Berklee College of Music, where he taught labs and master classes while earning his Bachelor's of Music Degree. It was here that he met the players he wanted to make his own, and hence The Joe Poppen Band was formed.

Before taking the world by storm and entertaining USO troups through various tours, Joe’s musical nature was realized while very young. Born in Washington D.C., he was initially inspired at the tender age of 4 to play guitar when seeing a PBS special on Jimi Hendrix. The blues-rock music of the 60's and 70's, including artists such as Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Robin Trower, Mike Bloomfield, and pop and soul artists such as the Beatles, Al Green, Aretha Frankin, James Brown and Otis Redding were introduced thanks to the family record collection. After spending his teenage years as a metal guitarist, his stylistic development started to come of age.

Artists such as Roy Buchanan, Danny Gatton, Bill Kirtchen, Tom Principato, and Rick Whitehead still serve as seminal influences, and of course, the classic blues personalities including B.B, Albert, and Freddy King, Otis Rush, Magic Sam, Elmore James, Robert Johnson, Jimmy Bryant, Hank Garland…it’s a never ending list.

CONTACT: joepoppenband@gmail.com