Willie Ames

Artist Information

Biography

Singer/songwriter/guitar & banjo player, Willie Ames, willieames.com, has independently toured all 50 United States, Canada, and Australia performing live original/cover songs of acoustic/folk/rock music and is now a 4 time award winner in the LA (2), eWorld (1), and Phoenix Music Awards!!! His main influences include Lindsey Buckingham with Fleetwood Mac and Mark Knopfler with Dire Straits, both very excellent guitar playing singer/songwriters. You can see photos of Willie next to all 50 United State's welcome signs in the "USA State Welcome Signs" photo album at http://www.myspace.com/willieames/photos and/or if you become a friend at facebook.com/willie.ames.

Willie's latest hit single "Night Owl", the title track of his current album Night Owl, charted on Billboard's Hot Singles Sales Chart for 6 weeks, peaking at #8, receiving it national radio play while also charting in the Top 30 Country from Satellite, College and Internet radio. It also went out in a press release to a million DJs and industry personnel around the world. The Night Owl album also got distributed through a national tier 1 FM and college radio campaign, you just may have heard it on one of your local stations!

Awards - Willie won Solo Artist of the Year and performances in the 20th Annual Los Angeles Music Awards (LAMAs) 2010 held at the world famous Paramount Theater in Hollywood, he also performed to a packed house for the award's voting party at the classic Whisky A Go-Go! He won Best Male Performer with a performance slot in the eWorld Music Awards 2011 at SIR Studios in Hollywood. He won National Solo Artist of the Year and a performance in the Phoenix Music Awards 2011 with recognition of his touring of all 50 States! His latest win was for Instrumental Artist of the Year in the 21st LAMAs 2011. "Night Owl" was nominated for Hot AC Single of the Year in the 22nd LAMAs 2012. His latest nomination was for Best Folk/Acoustic Artist in the Artists In Music Awards 2013!

Press - Willie unexpectedly received a shout out in SPIN magazine from actor Eli Roth for having Willie Ames music in his iPod while he was starring in Quentin Tarantino's #1 movie Inglourious Basterds with Brad Pitt. This came across in an interview Roth gave in the August 2009 issue of SPIN magazine! You can see the actual interview by visiting the following link (4th question): http://m.spin.com/articles/actor-eli-roth-reveals-his-favorite-music . Willie also continually received press in both Relix and Under The Radar magazine issues from August 2009 to 2011 with his songs "Desert Run", "Night Owl", "Ice Breaker", and "Dance With You" featured several times on their compilation CD inserts with several different half and full page ads throughout the issues introducing his musicianship, himself, and career highlights to hundreds of thousands of readers per issue, giving an estimated total of several million prints world wide. Willie was also a featured artist in the Hot Music 2011 issue of Campus Activities Magazine which goes out to the majority of the student activities offices for college campuses all across the USA! He's also recently been featured in Music Connection, Pollstar, Skope, and WHOA magazines with another feature coming up in WHOA magazine for their spring issue 2013!

To see his standard bio, please visit willieames.com, thank you.

Instrumentation

Jenny Courtney - Piano, Female Vocalist
Jason Ford - Drums/Percussion
Neil Nunez - Alternate Drummer
Zack Fahey - Bass

Discography

Current Album: Night Owl - 2011, re-released 2012
Debut Album: Willie Ames - 2006, re-released 2008

Albums are available on iTunes, Amazon.com, everywhere else online, and in physical, professionally manufactured, CD form at every show and at Amoeba music store in Hollywood.

See photos of Willie next to all the 50 United State's welcome signs at http://www.myspace.com/willieames/photos

Official Website

http://www.willieames.com

Links

• Facebook
• MySpace
• Twitter

Audio

• Willie Ames - Ice Breaker (instrumental finger picking on 6 string acoustic guitar)
  Listen  
• Willie Ames - Night Owl (album title track)
  Listen  
• Willie Ames - Night Owl (band mix)
  Listen  
• Willie Ames - Black Widow (banjo instrumental)
  Listen  
• Willie Ames - Desert Run (clean version available, singing & picking 6-string acoustic guitar)
  Listen  
• Willie Ames - Desert Run (Night Owl album)
  Listen  
• Willie Ames - Human Race
  Listen  
• Willie Ames - Neanderthal
  Listen  
• Willie Ames - Feelings
  Listen  
• Willie Ames - Dance With You
  Listen  

Lyrics

• Night Owl
• Desert Run
• Human Race
• Neanderthal
• Feelings
• Dance With You

Video

Willie Ames - live @ Whisky A Go-Go for 20th Annual LA Music Awards Voting Party 10.7.2010

Photo Gallery

Press

• 20th Annual Los Angeles Music Awards 2010 [+ Show ]
  

  Willie Ames is your 2010 Solo Artist of the Year with a nomination for Instrumental Artist of the Ye...Willie Ames is your 2010 Solo Artist of the Year with a nomination for Instrumental Artist of the Year in the 20th Annual Los Angeles Music Awards! Willie was a select performer in the award's voting party at the Whisky A Go-Go (Oct.7) and at the main event at the world famous Paramount Theatre in Hollywood,CA (Nov.18). Willie is already nominated for Singer/Songwriter of the Year in the 21st Annual Los Angeles Music awards 2011!

• SPIN magazine [+ Show ]
  

  August 2009 Willie Ames unexpectedly got a shout out from actor Eli Roth (while starring in Quent...August 2009
  
  Willie Ames unexpectedly got a shout out from actor Eli Roth (while starring in Quentin Tarantino's #1 movie Inglourious Basterds with Brad Pitt) for being in Roth's iPod in an interview he gave in the August 2009 issue of SPIN Magazine. Click or copy and paste the link below to see the interview, 4th question:
  
  http://m.spin.com/articles/actor-eli-roth-reveals-his-favorite-music

• relix magazine [+ Show ]
  

  August/September & November 2009 Willie Ames was featured in the August/September 2009 issue of r...August/September & November 2009
  
  Willie Ames was featured in the August/September 2009 issue of relix magazine, celebrating the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, with a poster ad which can be viewed in Willie's sonicbids EPK photo gallery. Along with having his well appreciated track titled "Desert Run" featured on the compilation CD, the issue also included a brief write up introducing his musicianship, himself, and highlighting his tour of all 50 United States!
  
  Willie was also featured in the November 2009 issue of relix magazine, highlighting the 50 greatest concerts in the past 50 years, with a half page ad which can also be viewed in Willie's sonicbids EPK photo gallery. The issue also introduced his musicianship, instruments, himself, and also highlighting his tour of all 50 United States!

• San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper [+ Show ]
  

  November 23, 2006 POWAY – Willie Ames grew up with a football in one hand and a guitar in the ot...November 23, 2006
  
  POWAY – Willie Ames grew up with a football in one hand and a guitar in the other. Now 25, the former quarterback at Poway High School has given up sports in his pursuit of a music career.
  
  Ames sings, writes music, and plays the guitar and banjo. He was one of the local musicians featured at the Poway Chamber of Commerce's second annual Character Rocks! Street Fair on Nov. 12.
  “Playing here in my hometown was great,” Ames said. “Having people come up and say 'Oh, this is what you are doing now,' was a good feeling.”
  
  The Poway street fair was a brief stop on Ames' tour of the western United States.
  
  Since 2004, Ames has driven so many miles he has lost count. The scenery of Colorado, Oregon and all the states in between has become familiar territory for the aspiring musician as he travels to and from performances.
  
  “Being by myself in the car on the open road is one of the most enjoyable parts of my life,” he said. “I come up with a lot of good music as I watch the environment fly by.”
  
  Ames writes the music in his head while he drives and sings it to himself to memorize it. He said he has been composing music that way since he was 5 and his parents gave him a child's guitar for Christmas.
  
  Ames studied mechanical engineering at the University of Arizona before realizing that music was his passion.
  
  “I had concentrated so much on sports growing up, I never really realized how important music was in my life,” he said. “Then I turned 18 and it just hit me. I figured the dream was worth a shot.”
  
  Ames will play for money or for the experience. The most important thing to him is that he can play at all.
  
  “I am just breaking even monetarily now,” he said. “But I am having the time of my life. My goal is to try to play somewhere every night.”
  
  Ames gives each audience member a copy of his CD and accepts donations rather than charging a fee. He estimates that he has handed out more than 20,000 CDs since recording his debut. He believes that first come the fans, then comes the fame.
  
  Sometimes, Ames said, he needs a shot of vodka to calm his nerves before he goes onstage. “It gets easier the more shows I do, though,” he said. “The excitement and the adrenaline rush get me pretty fired up.”
  
  Ames can't read music, but he said his ears are his guide. He cites Mark Knopfler with Dire Straits and Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac as his greatest musical influences.
  
  Ames emulates his musical heroes in the way he plays the guitar. He strums the strings rather than using a pick, creating a sound he describes as more versatile and requiring more technique. “My music is mellow classic rock with words that are deep,” he said.
  
  Ames has 16 original songs on his album, including “Ice Breaker,” “Desert Run” and “She'll Come Around.”
  
  He will play shows in Las Vegas and Phoenix before returning to San Diego County to perform Dec. 23 at Hot Java Cafe, 11738 Carmel Mountain Road.
  
  For more information on Ames, go to www.willieames.com.
  
  

• Under the Radar magazine [+ Show ]
  

  December 2009 Willie Ames was featured with a half page ad in the December 2009 issue of Under th...December 2009
  
  Willie Ames was featured with a half page ad in the December 2009 issue of Under the Radar Magazine, introducing his musicianship, instruments, himself, and highlighting his tour of all 50 United States! The ad can be viewed in Willie's sonicbids EPK photo gallery...

Setlist

Maximum set time is 4 hours of material. Going rate is negotiable starting at $200/hr or $500 flat rate for 3-4 hour show. Here is a typical 3 hour set list with 30 songs, including both original and cover songs. All songs mostly involve some kind of intricate finger pickin work on the guitar/banjo creating simultaneous lead/bass lines on one guitar/banjo! 100% live, no looping, no back up tracks, nor any special effects, just real amazing organic LIVE talent ;)

1. Ice Breaker - original/instrumental (acoustic 6-string guitar)
2. Never Going Back Again - by Lindsey Buckingham (acoustic 6-string guitar)
3. Desert Run - original (acoustic 6-string guitar)
4. Wanted Dead or Alive - by Bon Jovi (acoustic 6-string guitar)
5. Night Owl - original (acoustic 6-string guitar)
6. House of the Rising Sun - by The Animals (electric 6-string guitar)
7. Johnny Cash - original (acoustic 6-string guitar)
8. Man's Too Strong - by Dire Straits (resonator 6-string guitar)
9. Big Love - by Lindsey Buckingham (classical 6-string guitar)
10. Black Widow - original/instrumental (standard 5-string banjo)

11. Tripping Billies - by Dave Matthews Band (acoustic 6-string guitar)
12. Dust in the Wind - by Kansas (acoustic 6-string guitar)
13. Every Man - original (acoustic 6-string guitar)
14. The Boxer - by Simon & Garfunkel (resonator 6-string guitar)
15. Neanderthal - original (resonator 6-string guitar)
16. Lullaby - by The Cure (electric 6-string guitar)
17. Dance With You - original (resonator 6-string guitar)
18. Romeo and Juliet - by Dire Straits (resonator 6-string guitar)
19. Moon - original (acoustic 6-string guitar)
20. Your Love Will Stay - original (acoustic 6-string guitar)

21. The Chain - by Fleetwood Mac (standard 5-string banjo)
22. Walk in the Park - original/instrumental (classical 6-string guitar)
23. Into the Great Wide Open - by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (electric 6-string guitar)
24. Crash - by Dave Matthews (acoustic 6-string guitar)
25. Grey Street - by Dave Matthews Band (acoustic 6-string guitar)
26. She'll Come Around - original (acoustic 6-string guitar)
27. Go Insane - by Lindsey Buckingham (classical 6-string guitar)
28. Feelings - original (acoustic 6-string guitar)
29. Thank You - original (standard 5-string banjo)
30. Goodbye Blue Sky - by Pink Floyd (classical 6 - nylon string guitar)

alternate songs:

*Landslide - by Fleetwood Mac (acoustic 6-string guitar)
*Forever In Blue Jeans - by Neil Diamond (acoustic 6-string guitar)
*Gold Dust Woman - by Fleetwood Mac (standard 5-string banjo)
*Peace Train - by Cat Stevens (acoustic 6-string guitar)

(random/unexpected requests are welcome for on the spot, at least several days notice before event is preferred for perfection)

Basic Requirements

PDF Rider

stage plot.wps

Calendar