Biography
James Van Nuys was born in Whittier, CA, but has spent most of his life in Rapid City, South Dakota. James has a B.A. in music composition from Wilmington College (Wilmington, Ohio 1978). He has been involved in broad variety of musical endeavors ranging from Medieval and Renaissance consorts, Celtic, bluegrass, country and rock bands, and countless folk and blues solo gigs. James’s unique fingerpicking lead guitar style and witty lyrics have made him a favorite Black Hills performer since the mid 1980's.
Bob Fahey grew up in the Black Hills of South Dakota. An admirer of Elvis and the Beatles, he started playing guitar at the age of 12. He spent 15 years on the road with various touring rock bands before returning to the Black Hills in 1989 to raise a family. For the next twelve years Bob’s smoldering vocals and searing slide guitar were the driving force behind one of Rapid City’s most popular bands, “The Usual Suspects.” In 2005 he joined forces with his old friend, James Van Nuys, to form a powerhouse acoustic duo. He describes his music as “contemporary blues” and has been influenced by such artists as J.J. Cale, Robert Cray, and Robert Johnson.
Instrumentation
Bob Fahey: vocals, rhythm and slide guitar
James Van Nuys: vocals, lead and rhythm guitar, banjo, piano
Discography
CD: One Dollar Blues, 2009