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HAMILTON LOOMIS
Biography
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Hamilton Loomis
Biography |
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"Innovate, don't imitate." Hamilton Loomis took
his mentor, Bo Diddley's advice. It speaks volumes when the likes of Diddley,
Johnny "Clyde" Copeland, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and
Albert Collins take you under their wings. The twenty-something Texas sensation
isn't just another cat-in-a-hat with a Strat. He has crafted his blues roots
into a funk-a-fied recipe all his own.
A multi-instrumentalist, Hamilton practically grew up in the
spotlight. He began on drums and piano at age five, guitar at age six, then
conquered the harmonica. Gigging non-stop since age fourteen, he formed a family
doo-wop group with his musician parents. By seventeen, he had played the world-famous
Delta Blues Festival for an audience of 40,000.
Before he was eighteen, he was writing, arranging, and performing
his own material. He produced his first CD, titled simply "Hamilton",
which received a Grammy nomination for "Best Contemporary Album of the
Year".
Bo Diddley described Hamilton's second disc, "Just Gimme
One Night", this way. "You got to put some seasoning in what you're
doin', and this boy's got the whole salt shaker!" Hamilton's third release,
"All Fired Up", his fourth, "Live: Highlights", and his
latest, "Kickin' It", on Blind Pig Records, are both on radio rotation
on both coasts. It has set the stage for him to stake his claim as a top contemporary
performer.
Touring for the past three years, his band radiates a potent
vibe and boasts razor-sharp arrangements, Hammond underbelly and Hamilton's
groove-driven guitar, all weaving around his silky, soul-drenched vocals.
"I can't forget the legends who believed in me, so paying
my dues must include giving back to the community," states Hamilton. He
has taught blues in the schools, holds community blues tributes, and gives regular
harmonica clinics. Very few artists are able to meld such a strong sense of
the past with such an ardent vision of the future.
Above all, performing is Hamilton's forte. He establishes
an easy rapport with his audience, which instantly feels his love of the music.
Chris Rose of Eminence Speaker Corporation summed it up. "Seeing him perform
at the 2001 NAMM Show renewed my faith in new music. He's the hottest thing
out of Texas since the jalapeno!"
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Hamilton Loomis - Discography: |
KICKIN' IT
Released May 2003
on Blind Pig Records |
LIVE: HIGHLIGHTS
Released Feb. 2002 |
ALL FIRED UP
Released Nov. 1999 |
JUST GIMME ONE NIGHT
Released Aug. 1996 |
HAMILTON
(featuring special guest Bo Diddley)
Released Sept. 1994 |
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Hamilton Loomis ("Kickin'
It") Line-Up: |
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Hamilton Loomis - lead vocals, lead & rhythm guitars,
harmonica, bass, vocoder, power drill
Mike Cross - bass on #3 and #4, background vocals
Brant Leeper - Hammond B-3 organ, Fender Rhodes, piano, background vocals
Nico Leophonte - drums
The Primal Funk Horns, Kevin Needham, Kenny Borak
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