Ernie Southern & The Deltaholics

Ernie Southern & The Deltaholics

Genres: bluesrock, blues, slide guitar, harmonica blues, steel guitar

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About Ernie Southern & The Deltaholics

Every now and then, an artist emerges and bursts fully mature on the scene. Ernie Southern is one of those few. A pleasant surprise, his style is authentic, evoking both the "soul" and "spirit" of the masters. A pleasant surprise, his style is unmistakably authentic, evoking both the "soul" and "spirit" of the true Blues Masters. Call 772-801-6099. No stranger to music, he began his career in his early teens as a New York “street corner” singer, recording and performing with the well-known doo-wop acapella group "Nick and the Knacks". Opening for such acts as the "Four Seasons", "Anthony and the Imperials" and "The Earls", he quickly developed his strong, charismatic stage presence while appearing at clubs like the BLACK CAT and the GOLDEN SLIPPER. The group soon became a favorite on Lou Dean’s Bayshore Rock and Roll Shows. In the 60’s a spot on New York’s “Zacharly” TV show earned them an audition with Chess Records, which offered the band a recording contract. Then came the Vietnam War. During his four years in Naval Intelligence aboard the carrier USS Enterprise, he voraciously studied music, focusing on such old masters as Blind Lemon Jefferson and Lightnin’ Hopkins. By the early 70’s, with the advent of the psychedelic era’s new directions, Ernie began playing bass in Jazz-Rock-Fusion bands in Berkely, California. Studying with the much revered Elvo Damante, and student of the famous classical composer Darius Meaux, he then collaborated with the multi-instrumentalist Bill Hennessey to write and produce "Sailing Thru", a regional hit with wide air play in the Northeast. Moving to Fort Lauderdale in 1979 and working with a variety of bands in various styles, he co-wrote “Like a Kid at Christmas” with Five Boroughs band leader, Frank Iovino. This song still receives international attention as a perennial Christmas favorite. By 1992, as a well-known bass player for the ever touring retro rock group RISK, he once again opted to pick up his guitar and moved forward to yet another style, the Delta Blues. The past decade has seen a return to playing, writing and performing, opening for such acts as Leon Russell, Alvin Youngblood Hart, John Hammond, John Mooney, Catfish Keith, Jeremy Lyons and the Deltabilly Boys, Spider John Korner, Joe Bonomassa, Albert Castiglia, Joey Gilmore, Ben Prestage and James Cotton. After winning the 2003 South Florida Blues Challenge, Ernie went on to Memphis, courtesy of the South Florida Blues Society, and finished as a top finalist in the acoustic division in the International Blues Foundation’s world-wide competition.

Taken from Last.fm

193 listeners  ·  663 plays via Last.fm