Ray Ludwig Band

Ray Ludwig grew up in a family of great piano players in Sarasota, FL and started playing guitar at the age of 12. The Allman Brothers Band with Duane Allman was still a local band at the time and Ray heard Duane Allman play live numerous times. Inspired by listening live to Duane and Dickey Betts, Ray spent countless hours learning the guitar solos of the Allman Brothers Band and Eric Clapton. Ray started playing professionally and writing music at the age of 15, and at age 17 his band opened for the Allman Brothers in Sarasota. l Ray attended Florida State University (FSU), and in his junior year became a music major, studying classical guitar, music theory and piano for one year. While at FSU, Ray became immersed in bluegrass music and learned how to play the banjo and some pedal steel, mandolin and fiddle. Ray got an offer to join a hot band and left FSU to go on the road. He played professionally all over the southeastern United States for the next three years. During that time some highlights include opening for Neil Sedaka in Tampa, playing for then-presidential nominee Jimmy Carter, and playiing for over 10,000 people at an outdoor July 4th celebration. Ray tired of the road, taught guitar and bluegrass banjo for 3 years and studied jazz guitar and music theory with Dave Gould and Mo Friend. Ray continues to take jazz lessons today with a former student of Pay Matheney. In addition to being heavily influenced by the melodic styles of Duane Allman and Eric Clapton, Ray's guitar heroes include Gary Moore, Carlos Santana, Jimmy Page, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix, George Benson and Eric Johnson.