The Bill Magee Blues Band

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Bill Magee: Guitar (acoustic), Guitar (electric), Vocals | Mike "Sandalwood" Jones: Bass guitar | Guy Anthony Cariglio: Drums | Mike Mitchell: Guitar (acoustic), Guitar (electric) | Bill Ray: Drums

Genre: Blues & Soul, Rock

RIYL: Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker

Upcoming Local Shows

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Synoposis

Influences: Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Jimi Hendrix, BB King, Elmore James

Background:

Born in Collins, the backwoods of Mississippi in 1943, Willie (Bill) Magee grew up listening to Muddy Waters, Elmore James, and BB King on his father's small radio. Life was difficult and Willie experienced many hard knocks. His mother died when he was 4 years old and his father followed when he was just 13. Taken from his parentless home, his older brother Deloy moved him to his tiny one room flat in Ithaca, New York.

At the Community Center, Willie met guitarist Butch Rosenberg and his focus turned to music. As the friendship grew, they spent many hours listening to R&B and rock, especially blues guitar. With a part-time job at a department store, Willie managed to save for his first guitar, a $29.99 Montgomery Ward special.

A year of solid practice brought Willie to join his first local band, and at age 14, music became his life. Working with various local bands, he also managed to graduate from high school, the first in his family to do so.

In 1967 Jimmy James -- aka Jimi Hendrix -- left for England, and Willie toured Russia, Japan, Europe, and England with his band. Magee also played with BB King, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed, Otis Redding, John Lee Hooker, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Wilson Pickett, and Bo Diddley, among others.

Willie relocated to San Diego in 1987 and has been performing locally since 1993.

-- MySpace profile

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