MEMBER OF THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME & BLUES HALL OF FAME
Ever since Rock & Roll and Blues Hall Of Famer Elvin Bishop first hit the scene with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band back in 1965, he’s blazed his own musical trail. Whether he was playing raw, eye-popping blues, or penning the evergreen radio hit Fooled Around And Fell In Love, or touring the world for decades delivering his original, good-time countrified blues, Bishop has always inspired his fans with his rowdy guitar playing and witty, slice-of-life songs. Rolling Stone calls Bishop “a legendary guitarist” whose playing is “impeccable and spirited… a distinguished American player.”
Photo by Bob Hoskins
Elvin Bishop is a natural storyteller, an endlessly creative guitarist, a slyly good-humored songwriter and an instantly crowd-pleasing performer. Born in Glendale, CA on October 21, 1942, Bishop grew up in Oklahoma. He first got hooked on the blues listening to late night R&B radio as a teenager, and began collecting and absorbing the music. Once Bishop realized that many of his favorite records were recorded in Chicago, he used his National Merit Scholarship as a way to get closer to his musical heroes. He enrolled in the University of Chicago, whose campus was located near dozens of the South Side clubs. Soon he was spending more time in the clubs than the classroom.
After Elvin crossed paths with harmonica player and fellow University of Chicago student Paul Butterfield, the two began sitting in together at the South Side clubs, often hanging out with heavyweights including Otis Rush. They first formed The Paul Butterfield Blues Band in 1963, cutting their debut LP in 1965 with Michael Bloomfield as second lead guitarist. The groundbreaking self-titled debut album introduced real electric Chicago blues to the rock audience for the first time. With the release of East/West in 1966, their straight Chicago sounds drifted further into progressive and experimental rock and—with two world-class lead guitarists on board—they helped pave the way for groups featuring multiple virtuoso guitarists like The Allman Brothers Band and Derek and the Dominos. The band, including Bishop, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2015.
Towards the end of the 1960s, after recording three albums with The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Elvin decided to move on, heading for the San Francisco area. He became a regular at the famed Fillmore Auditorium jam sessions, and played alongside Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, The Allman Brothers and many others across the country. He recorded first for Fillmore Records, then Epic and then for Capricorn, where his career took off. He guested on albums from blues stars including B.B. King, Son Seals, James Cotton and John Lee Hooker. Melding blues, country and rock, Bishop further developed his signature sound, a sound he used to create two chart-topping records: Travelin’ Shoes and Fooled Around And Fell In Love (the latter song reached number three on the pop charts and years later was prominently featured in the blockbuster film, Guardians Of The Galaxy).
After a seven-year recording hiatus, Elvin returned to his blues roots in 1988, signing with Alligator and releasing five albums between 1988 and 2000. After a few releases on other labels, Bishop returned to Alligator with 2014’s Can’t Even Do Wrong Right and once again turned the music-loving world on its head. Reviews poured in from NPR’s Fresh Air, Rolling Stone, Living Blues, No Depression and many others. He appeared on television on TBS’s CONAN and performed numerous times on A Prairie Home Companion.
In 2017 and 2018, he performed and recorded two Alligator Records albums with the Grammy-nominated Big Fun Trio… a group featuring Bishop, Bob Welsh and Willy Jordan.
Most recently, Elvin teamed up with fellow blues traveler and living blues giant, Grammy-winning harmonica master Charlie Musselwhite to record 100 Years Of Blues on Alligator Records. The two history-making musicians have over 100 years of professional musicianship between them. Although they’d known each other since the early 1960s, this is the first time that they ever teamed up to make an album together. It is blues at its deepest, warmest and most engaging.
Looking ahead, Elvin is proud to introduce a new chapter in his musical journey with Elvin Bishop & the Raisin’ Hell Revue, featuring Kid & Lisa Andersen, Bob Welsh, Endre Tarczy and Paul Rivelli. This dynamic new ensemble brings together a seasoned group of musicians and vocalists, with Kid Andersen on guitar and bass, Bob Welsh on guitar and keys, Endre Tarczy on bass and keys, Paul Rivelli on drums, and Lisa Andersen on lead vocals, with the entire band contributing background vocals. Together, they promise to deliver the soulful, hard-driving blues and R&B that have defined Elvin's remarkable career, while opening the door to an exciting new era of Raisin’ Hell.