Artist description I stand about 6'4", blond hair, blues eyes, dress like an off-duty Jesuit. I bring a guitar, a chair, and usually my red-tipped cane on stage with me. The cane is because I am well past legally blind, the chair because I tend to trip over cables I can't see if I stand (plus I look like Andre the Giant standing next to most musicians), and the guitar, well, that'll be ovbious shortly. You'll usually see me playing acoustic guitar at acoustic venues, blues or folk-oriented, but I occasionally bring the electrics out for a night on the town. Regardless, the beat will have a distinct swing, a little Texas Shuffle with the Delta Triplet. I don't wank (solo more than sing) unless I'm sitting in with guys who want to, and that's not very often. If you catch my show, you'll hear a mix of trditional blues, traditionalized modern blues, and occasioanl detours into classic country, rock and roll, and whatever I think might be fun to play and hear.

Music Style Mississippi Delta Blues, with occasional departures

Musical Influences Son House sitting on one shoulder and Lou Reed on the other. No wonder I'm confused.

Similar Artists Ouch. Um...Corey Harris, Rory Block, Saffire, RL Burnside, Ry Cooder

Artist History I grew up in Mineral Wells, a small town in West Texas, took up guitar in college, and got serious about the blues at a scholarly conference on the blues in Jonesboro, Arkansas, meeting guys like Hawkeye Herman, Lemuel Sheppard, Hairy Larry, Fruteland Jackson, David Evans, Peter Aschoff, Barry Pearson, the latter of whom advised me that if I wanted to be serious about the blues, I had to learn to sing. You don't like my singing, blame him. And blame Aschoff for my unwillingness to play by the usual rules of the blues business.

Group Members Hank D. Ballenger: Guitar, Vocal, Engineer, Producer Cast of Instrumental Characters-- Audrey: a black and white standard-tuning Squier Strat, my first. Divinia: a borgeous blue Alvarez shallow-body in Open G. Cordelia: a black and white Squier Strat in Open E. Dorothy: a Johnson tobacco sunburst dobro in open G. Martha: a dark grey Galveston acoustic-electric bass. The RoboBitch: a temperamental-as-hell Asian revival Regal Brass-body in open D. Cleaopatra Jones: a seven-string black Squier Strat in open D.

Instruments Guitars, and anything else I can get my mitts on.

Albums In progress--stay tuned.

Press Reviews So far, the revolution remains untelevised.

Additional Info Um, I'm allergic to cats?

Location Philadelphia, PA - USA

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