Elvin Bishop
| Elvin Bishop | |
|---|---|
Bishop performing at Boston's on the Beach, Delray Beach, Florida, on July 3, 2010
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Elvin Richard Bishop |
| Born |
October 21, 1942 Glendale, California, United States |
| Origin | Chicago, Illinois |
| Genres | Blues, blue-eyed soul, blues rock, country rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, guitarist |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, slide guitar |
| Years active | 1963–present |
| Labels | Blind Pig Records, Alligator Records, Delta Groove Music |
| Website | www.elvinbishopmusic.com |
| Notable instruments | |
| Gibson ES-345 | |
 Oral History, Elvin Bishop reflects on his early influences on guitar. Interview date September 6, 2014, NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Oral History Library
|
Elvin Richard Bishop (born October 21, 1942) is an American blues and rock music singer, guitarist, band leader and songwriter. He was an original member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Elvin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015, and the Blues Hall of Fame in 2016.
Bishop was born in Glendale, California, the son of Mylda (Kleege) and Elvin Bishop, Sr. He grew up on a farm near Elliott, Iowa. His family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, when Bishop was ten. There he attended Will Rogers High School, winning a full scholarship to the University of Chicago as a National Merit Scholar finalist. He moved to Chicago in 1960 to attend the university, where he majored in physics.
In 1963 Bishop met harmonica player Paul Butterfield in the neighborhood of Hyde Park and joined Butterfield's blues band, and remained with them for five years. Bishop was originally Butterfield's only guitarist, but was later joined by Mike Bloomfield, who largely took over the lead guitar role for the band's classic first two albums. After Bloomfield departed, the Butterfield Band's third album, The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw, took its name from Bishop's nickname and his renewed role as lead guitarist. Bishop recorded a fourth album with Butterfield, his last with the band, in 1968.
During his time with the Butterfield Blues Band, Bishop met blues guitarist Louis Meyers at a show. Bishop convinced Meyers to trade his Gibson ES-345 for Bishop's Telecaster. Bishop liked the Gibson so much he never gave it back and has used it throughout his career. Bishop has nicknamed his Gibson ES-345 "Red Dog," a name he got from a roadie for the Allman Brothers Band.
...
Wikipedia