The great state of Florida is well known for orange groves, football and hanging chads. In recent years however, it has produced some excellent blues musicians. Among them, a diamond in the rough;
Damon Fowler. I happened upon him during a
Robin Trower show at the House of Blues in the Downtown Disney area about ten years ago. His three piece band was the opening act that night. It took me about thirty seconds into his set to formulate an opinion on this young teenager of a musician. Oh, he had guitar chops like many
Stevie Ray Vaughan wanna Be's. What separated Damon from half a dozen guitar slingers that have come and gone, was his
stage presence. It struck me that this guy was
born for the stage and was very comfortable in his role as the front man of his group. His guitar licks came from a vintage black Strat and he hit every note - concisely. Not too much over the top fluff, just great phrasing and runs on the fretboard from this juvenile blues player.
Over the years Damon has matured in both his playing and vocals. I watched and listened as he paid his dues in small, noisy road houses and dives. He certainly deserved the recording deal he recently inked with
Blind Pig Records. The debut recording was
Sugar Shack which undoubtedly put him on the national map. Full of catchy ballads and even a few covers. The latest recording is entitled;
Devil Got His Way and is now climbing up the Blues Charts and is very reflective of his musical talent and abilities. I have a feeling there is lots of music yet to come from this Florida native. Catch him in a show or festival in your area real soon. In the meantime, there is a big void in the Sunshine State as he tours the country.
