Duke Robillard on Stafford Springs Blues Festival – Saturday, August 9, 2014. Filmed by Sodafixer
Michael John “Duke” Robillard
… is an American blues musician. After playing in various bands and working for the Guild Guitar Company, he co-founded the band Roomful of Blues with pianist Al Copley in 1967. He has also been a member of The Fabulous Thunderbirds which included Kim Wilson, replacing Jimmie Vaughan on guitar. Also experienced in jazz, swing, and rock and roll, aside from his preferred blues music, Robillard has been generally regarded as a guitar player keeping the blues style of T-Bone Walker.
The American bluesman is considered the successor of the famous T-Bone Walker, a leading representative of the Texas blues. With the pianist Al Copley, he founded the group Roomful of Blues in 1967, then he was a musician of The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Both of these formations were nominated for a Grammy Award, and Duke Robillard himself was invited to tour by Tom Waits and Bob Dylan (he played in 1997 on Dylan’s album “Time out of Mind”). Duke Robillard is a two-time BMA winner and has been nominated many times for the Grammy Awards.
In his work, the artist refers to many musical genres – swinging jazz, classic electric blues or music containing elements of funk, rock`n` roll and rockabilly.
GRAMMY Nominations for Best Traditional Blues Album for 2010 Stomp! The Blues Tonight and 2006 Guitar Groove-a-Rama
The Blues Music Awards (formerly W.C.Handy Awards) have named Duke Robillard “Best Blues Guitarist” four years out of five (2000,2001,2003,2004) making him the second most honored guitarist for that award!
He was also nominated in that category in 2005, 2007 2008.