Killer” Ray Allison

ARTIST SUMMARY
Genres: Blues / Rhythm and Blues /Soul / Electronica
Management: Azure Music Group, Odysseus E. Johnson III M.Div.
Official Site: Killer Ray Allison

ARTIST BIO

“Killer” Ray Allison first broke into the blues during the early 1970's. Now a regular on the Chicago Blues scene for over four decades, "Killer" Ray has been an integral tour-de-force in bands by Muddy Waters, James Cotton, Koko Taylor, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells.

With a reputation as the hardest hitting drummer in the blues world, "Killer" has turned down gig offers from Eric Clapton, John Mayall and the late Gary Moore, so he could fully focus his energies toward leading a band. In 1998 and 2000, Ray was nominated for the W. C. Handy award as an instrumentalist.

In 1995 he appeared in the movie Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead with Andy Garcia, and in 1998 he played for Hilary Clinton’s birthday party in Chicago. From South Side holes in the wall to the Chicago Blues Fest and around the world, Ray never fails to please crowds of any age with his energetic shows, and his quick-draw staging gets audiences of kids clapping and singing along.  When he takes a guitar to school, the kids all want to try their hand at it. Killer Ray says, “Right away the kids see it takes a lot of know-how, skill and strength in your hands to play the right chords and get into the rhythms. Learning music gives them something to work on.”

Thanks for listening - Bluesdaddy