The Erica Roane Band

Erica Roane- (vocals)
Erica Roane's voice is unmistakably soul. It is distinctly strong and gritty, yet smooth and tender. This small town wife and mother from Horn Lake, Mississippi, has always been passionate about singing and loves doing it. Over the past two years, her music career has moved forward. She has had numerous well-received local performances accompanied by her husband, Richard Massey, on guitar. The recent formation of the Erica Roane Band is her latest step toward the continued honing of her craft and career. While she remains humble, she looks forward to hard work and the success it brings doing what she loves.

Richard- (rhythm guitar)
Mississippi born and raised, Richard Massey, is a gifted guitarist. He started strumming over six years ago and has not looked back. His ability to grasp new riffs and techniques is simply uncanny. Within the past two years, he has accompanied his wife and vocalist, Erica Roane, on numerous successful engagements in the Mid-South area. His musical interest has motivated him to write original material for Erica at special events. As a result, he spearheaded the creation of the Erica Roane Band. If you ask Richard about his love for music and the band, hell say, Man, I just want to play!.

Olori- (drums)
Performing for over 40 years, the past 23 years in the Memphis area, is drummer, Olori Ajamu. He has varied interests and enjoys different genres of music including the music of his native Louisiana. While his early exposure to drumming was predictably on snare drums & drum sets, his move to Memphis brought him new inspiration. The mastery of the West African djembe, with the Nubian Theatre Company was a creative joy for Olori. It has provided numerous performing opportunities, teaching stints at local elementary schools as well as several shows as the percussionist with local neo-soul group, Vibe. He has now come full circle as the drummer with the Erica Roane Band and is moving forward with an eye on the past.

Mike- (lead guitar)
Mike Brownstein is right at home in Memphis, living here for 27 years. He first gained interest in the blues genre when he purchased the album "Layla" by Derek & The Dominos. He has dedicated himself to learning how to play blues on a guitar for a decade now. A few years ago, he decided to sit in at local blues jam sessions to gain experience playing with other musicians. His guitar playing style is heavily influenced by artists like B.B. King, Freddie King, Otis Rush, Brad Webb, and Jeff Jensen. More recently as he aspired to join a music group, he auditioned for The Erica Roane Band. This ended up being the perfect fit as he is now the lead guitarist for the band.

Jimmie- (bass guitar)
Jimmie Shives is a true Memphian living in South Memphis his whole life. He is an established bass guitarist with over twenty years experience. The blues has been naturally rooted into his spirit and mind since birth. He has had the pleasure of playing alongside Beale Street legends such as Bluesman Joe Thomas, Earl The Pearl and Daddy Mack. He has been influenced by artists such as Stanley Clarke, Larry Graham, Lee Roy Hodges, John Patitucci, Louis Johnson and countless others. Jimmie still considers himself a student as he continues to learn new riffs and licks in order to perfect his bass playing skills. He is thrilled to be in a band with team players who are dominant in the Memphis sound that it is famous for, blues and soul.