The Bart Walker Band

John Lee Hooker once said 'the blues tells a story. Every line of the blues has a meaning.' Lucky for us, talented musicians still feel the need to tell that story. And it’s even luckier for us that one of these musicians is Nashville-based up and coming blues man, Bart Walker.

Bart started honing his guitar skills at the ripe “old” age of four, while growing up in Tennessee. Along the way, he became an accomplished musician on a variety of instruments including the mandolin, banjo, dobro, bass, saxophone, fiddle and drums.

After graduating high school, he was recruited into the army national guard as a musician. He attended Austin Peay State University on a full scholarship where his concentration was vocal performance and string bass majors and minors in guitar performance and composition.

After college, he moved to Memphis to pursue his dream of playing the blues. While there, his name became recognizable and he played for the likes of Ruby Wilson and Preston Shannon. He later formed a band called Five Mississippi, playing various Beale Street venues, as well as other parts of Memphis, and as far south as Tunica, Clarksdale and Oxford, Mississippi.

He returned to Nashville in 2005 with a new feel for the blues, and has since contributed to many studio sessions as well as performing in a variety of clubs.

In addition to his current role as lead guitarist for B.B. King's All-Stars at B.B. King's Blues Club, and American Idol's Bo Bice, he has also chalked up countless hours in the studio with Steve Gorman (Black Crows), A.J. Croce (son of Jim Croce), Bo Bice, Audly Freed. (Cry Of Love & Black Crows), and Robert Kearns (Lynyrd Skynyrd).

In the live music world, he has played with Delbert McClinton, Steve Cropper, Lee Roy Parnell, Jim Peterik (from Ides of March and Survivor), Jimmy Hall, Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon (Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble), Jack Pearson and Gary Nichols. He opened For B.B. King (With the B.B. King All-stars), Styx, REO speed wagon and Lynyrd Skynyrd (with Bo Bice). He also performed on the Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman with Bo.

Bart Walker's new CD, “Who I am,” is sure to help revive the blues with the younger generation, and at the same time prove to be a much-welcomed addition for those who already possess a love for the blues.

• Influences
Stevie Ray, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Eric Gales, Harold Smith, Joe Bonamassa, Martin Sexton, Raul Midon, Darrell Scott, Tony Rice, Stan Lassiter, Albert King, John Mayer, Bernard Allison, and many, many more.

There is no doubt that this artist will continue to tell the stories for many years to come. And for that, we are all grateful.