RONNIE EARL
Ronnie Earl plays Blues guitar with jazz overtones with his band The Broadcasters, firing off guitar licks in the style of Otis Rush and Earl Hooker, and maintains a high standard of playing that has impressed those famous Blues players that shaped the music, A long career as a band leader has given Ronnie the chance to share the stage with many of those legends, and his skill on his faithful Fender has never let him down.
Ronald Horvath of Queens, New York, took up guitar when he was at college in Boston. He graduated in 1975 and after a Muddy Waters gig at a small club, he was inspired to get serious about the Blues. He practised furiously on his Stratocaster while working as a teacher and got a residency at Boston’s Speakeasy Club, changing his surname to Earl in tribute to the sublime guitar stylist, Earl Hooker. In 1977, after guesting with Otis Rush and Shakey Horton, Ronnie went to Chicago where Koko Taylor got him some ‘sit in’ gigs at local clubs.
The following year he took a break from teaching, and Ronnie explored the music scene in Atlanta, New Orleans and finally Austin TX, where hanging with Jimmie Vaughan and Kim Wilson convinced Ronnie to play the Blues full time. He recorded a track with Sunnyland Slim as well as New England bands The Rhythm Rockers and The Bluetones. In 1977, Ronnie began an eight year stint as lead guitar for the Providence RI institution, The Roomful of Blues when Duke Robillard left. Ronnie recorded his solo albums ‘Smokin’ ‘ and ‘They Call Me Mr. Earl’ for the Black Top label during this period, as an outlet for his own Blues that was not suitable for the big band.
Ronnie plays ‘Blues in D natural’ in tribute to Earl Hooker;
