Ray Fuller.

The St. Marys Blues Guild welcomes Ray Fuller and the Bluesrockers to St. Marys and K.C. Geiger Park to kick off the 2010 Riverside Bluesfest on Labor Day weekend.

Ray Fuller has been sliding blues off the neck of his guitars since the 'seventies with the Bluesrockers, in the process becoming one of Ohio's best and most-recognized practitioners of the art. Pumping out the blues peppered with a little rockabilly rock 'n' roll gives this band its unique and popular sound. Based in the Columbus area, the band has become a staple of central Ohio blues clubs and festivals.

Ray Fuller and the Bluesrockers have performed with the giants of the blues: Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Albert Collins, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, James Cotton and more:

• Muddy Waters, after witnessing an opening act performance by Ray Fuller on slide guitar exclaimed for all to hear, "That was some hot slide boy! I could smell the smoke backstage!"
• James Cotton, after witnessing a similar Bluesrocker performance shook Ray's hand and proclaimed, "Finally, I met somebody as wild and crazy as I am!"
• John Lee Hooker was so impressed with the band and their performance that he took the Bluesrockers and his own band out to dinner and picked up the tab!

Opportunities to learn at the feet of the masters were not wasted on young Ray, and as an eager student of the blues he paid close attention to every pearl of wisdom and every nasty riff and blues lick generously shown to him. Since then, Ray Fuller and the Bluesrockers have been performing their brand of low-down gutsy blues and red-hot rock 'n' roll for many years, leaving a trail of scorched stages and satisfied fans from Michigan to Florida and California to New York.

The critics are as impressed with Ray Fuller and the Bluesrockers as the musicians are:

• "Ray's wailing style on slide is reminiscent at times of Hound Dog Taylor and Elmore James, tempered with the rowdiness of George Thorogood." – Guitar Player Magazine.
• "Ray brings out his lap steel and tears the place down with stunning slide that brings visions of Hop Wilson, Elmore and Hound Dog!" – Blue and Rhythm, UK.
• "Their blues are laced with healthy doses of rockabilly and rock 'n' roll. Fuller is out to stake a claim as one of the best singers of his genre." – Living Blues Magazine.

Bluesrocker drummer Doug Oscard has toured with Johnny Winter and Luther Allison. Blues harpist Mike Gilliland has backed up the legendary delta bluesman Honeyboy Edwards and singer and guitarist Cleveland Fats. Pianist Keith Blair brings a ton of stage presence and was one of nine finalists in the 2003 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. Long-time bassist Bill Geist has spent many years touring with the Bluesrockers. With Ray Fuller on lead, this is one band you don't want to miss.

The Riverside Bluesfest hits the ground smoking this year with Ray Fuller and the Bluesrockers.
 

Discography:
Year	Title	Label
1978	Ray Fuller Band	Blue Ash Records (LP)
1984	Somethin' Shaken	Midnight Records (LP)
1989	Damn Guitars	Oahu Records (LP)
1992	Live - Ray Fuller and The Bluesrockers	Oahu Records (CD)
1997	Pearlene	Oahu Records (CD)
1999	Twist of Fate	Oahu Records (CD)
2004	Rockin' The Blues	Oahu Records (CD)

Artist merchandise will be available for purchase at the Riverside Bluesfest!