Ask any blues bass player to name their most influential blues bass player, and almost all will mention Willy Dixon for upright bass and Keith Ferguson from the Fabulous Thunderbirds for electric bass. In this extensively researched biography, author Detlef Schmidt starts with Keith's early childhood, from his birth in 1946 in Houston, Texas, and on to his playing days. Keith's role in the late 1970s blues revival can't be forgotten, with his style of playing and dressing being influential to many blues bands all over the world.
Keith played with all the great guitar players from Texas: Johnny Winter, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmie Vaughan, Rocky Hill, Billy F. Gibbons, Omar Dykes, and Alan Haynes, just to mention a few. As a member of the Austin Blues Club “Antone's” he played with nearly all the blues greats during that time: John Lee Hooker, Hubert Sumlin, Muddy Waters, James Cottan, Jimmie Reed, Eddie “Playboy” Taylor.
Many of Keith Ferguson's old friends and musical partners share their memories of a great bass player and fascinating person, with quotes and interviews from Billy Gibbons, Johnny Winter, Jimmie Vaughan, Lou Ann Barton, Fran Christina, Preston Hubbard, Mike Buck, Armando Compean, Denny Freeman, Don Leady, Thommy Shannon, and many more. Hundreds of never before published photographs and personal documents are shown for the first time.
The chapters include: the Houston Days, California Years with the Black Kangaroo band, Early Austin Years with the band Solid Senders, Fabulous Thunderbird Years, The Tail Gator Years (earning Keith a Grammy award with the Big Guitars of Texas band), and the Late Austin Years. As an added bonus Detlef Schmidt features all the main bass guitars that Keith played with the Fabulous Thunderbirds and the Tail Gators in highly detailed pictures. Included are several pages of music tabs and notation showing Keith's bass playing style, plus a complete recording discography. A must-have book for every bass player!
