The Man and the music speaks for itself. Earnest ”Guitar” Roy is truly fulfilling his dream. Earnest Roy, Jr. was born on September 25th, 1958 in Clarksdale, Mississippi under the watchful eye of his late, great father and guitarist, Earnest Roy, Sr, who worked with Jackie Brinston, Ike Turner, John Lee Hooker, Wade Walton, Raymond Hill and many of the other Clarksdale bluesman. Earnest Sr. was in a book called, “Conversation with the Blues” by Paul Oliver. Earnest’s father taught him bass guitar at the early age of five, and when Earnest turned eight, he began playing in his fathers band, “Earnest Roy and the Clarksdale Rockers”, who's members included Big Jack Johnson, C.V. Ville, and Raymond Hill. At age eleven, Earnest Jr. began playing lead guitar. Earnest Jr. formed his first band, First Choice, at age
fourteen. It was at this time that he began playing blues and jazz music that developed into his own style, “Bluejazz”. The national exposure of First Choice led to an offer as a regular performer on Soul Train. At the time, however, the fourteen year old decided to finish high school. At seventeen, Earnest moved to Dayton, Ohio and joined a band called, Black Satin Soul. In 1989, Jim O’Neal , the president and C.E.O. of Rooster Blues Records signed Earnest “Guitar” Roy to the Rooster Blues label and released a single called “Too Many Women And I Wanna Know What My Little Girl’s Been Doing”. The song was written in a San Diego hotel room while touring and playing backup guitar for the late blues great, Albert King. From 1993 to 2001, Earnest played for the international televangelist and pastor, Rod Parsley, whose breakthrough ministry aired on 320 nations around the world. In 2001, Earnest “Guitar” Roy returned to his blues roots when he began touring and appearing at blues and jazz festivals with the blues legend, Sam Carr. Earnest also toured Australia in cities such as Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Byron Bay, and Brisbane to name a few. While in the U.S., Earnest played at The House Of Blues in Orlando, Fl. with Joe Turner. Earnest’s other credits include playing drums on Big Jack Johnson’s first album “Oil Man”, and playing lead guitar and drums on Frank Frost’s “Midnight Prowler” album (Earnest has writing credit for the song "Earnest’s Groove"). The song appeared on the Earwig Music Label. Bob Eagle, an Australian Blues Historian, said, “Earnest plays lovely, thoughtful original solos. Earnest is not another B.B. or Albert King, but is one of the few original voices on guitar. He has a happy knack of writing good songs and performing them convincingly. Earnest inherited his father's brand of playing and his father's band name, Earnest "Guitar" Roy and the Clarksdale Rockers.
"I first entered the realm of music through dance.
At the age of six I took my first ballet classes and I did not stop dancing until injuries forced me to.
I was born in Santiago de Chile and grew up there, as well as in Hong Kong and Switzerland. As a child I had the privilege to travel extensively throughout Asia. I still feel very much at home while travelling. I gave this a voice with a song called “Gipsy Woman”. I think that is me.
I believe travelling can give big changes and wisdom through new perceptions and perspectives, which always comes in naturally as long as you are open to it. Through my music I hope I can travel again and see new things and places.
I have explored a great deal in art, and I miss dancing, but now I dance with my voice and with my hands.
To play the piano had not been an immediate choice, rather it came to me when I had no band at the time. I had sung in numerous bands, but no band gave me the satisfaction I was searching for.
I decided to start playing rather late, with the vision in my head to write songs and eventually be on stage with them.
I never thought I would actually sing AND play the piano, always convinced it should be someone else who played it for me, with me only doing the basic, the ground on which to build on.
But the piano seems to have become a part of me when I play. It has become my dance, and it soothes me when I’m in distress.
After exploring the world of dance and theatre (I did some acting) I found songwriting one of the most rewarding and personal choices I have ever made. Songwriting is like opening a door and letting everyone in without being able to close it. That can be very scary but also so rewarding.
Songwriting gives me freedom of speech and freedom to feel what I sometimes might not have the courage to feel when not doing music, or not on stage.
That might seem odd, but there is a great deal that I tend to hide from myself. And then, when I perform, it all comes out."
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