Though named after the King of the Cowboys, guitarist Roy Rogers isn’t a country and western yodeler. The Bay Area resident and Redding native is an acclaimed Delta blues musician and producer. His extensive credits include work with a diverse array of celebrated figures including John Lee Hooker, Norton Buffalo, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and Ray Manzarek. But Rogers’ body of work under his own name—showcased on dozens of albums—has earned him fame in and beyond the world of blues. Rogers comes to Moe’s Alley on June 22.
Rogers’ musical journey has taken him far and wide. In the early, pre-Beatles 1960s, he was already playing in a band. The group’s repertoire included “Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, standard fare of the time,” Rogers recalled. But when his older brother brought home a vinyl copy of Robert Johnson’s King of the Delta Blues Singers, his life changed. “That record blew my mind,” he said. “‘What is this? How does he do that?’”
Hearing Johnson’s powerful voice and unusual guitar tunings struck a chord with the then-teenage musician. “Nobody could approach him rhythmically,” Rogers said. “He borrowed from other guys—like Son House—but Robert put it all together in a way that was just stunning. Still is; always will be.”
Thus inspired, Rogers dove deeper into the world of blues. Reading the credits on the back of early releases from British groups like the Animals and the Rolling Stones, he was fascinated by their blues-oriented songs. He recalls wondering, “‘Who’s McKinley Morganfield? Who’s Chester Burnett?’ I was a kid, so I didn’t know who those guys were!”
But he made a point of finding out. The ’60s brought the peak of the Fillmore West and Avalon Ballroom, so he got to see legendary bluesmen like Jimmy Reed and John Lee Hooker live onstage. Rogers was especially moved by the blues’ Delta variant. “The passion and delivery of that type of blues … it all emanates from there for me,” he said. By the time British blues boom artists like John Mayall’s Blues Breakers and Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac came to the attention of American ears, Rogers was already a seasoned blues guitarist.
Rogers worked regularly, teaming up with fellow Bay Area musician David Burgin. “It was a harmonica and slide-guitar duet in the Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee mold,” he said. The pair gigged extensively, releasing A Foot in the Door in 1978. By 1980, Rogers had earned a spot in John Lee Hooker’s band. He went on to play on and produce four of Hooker’s albums, including the 1989 Grammy-winning release, The Healer. He learned a lot working with the legendary figure. “You’re not trying to reach everybody” with your music, Hooker told him. “You’re trying to make a statement.”
Like many guitarists, Rogers plays a variety of models, but one instrument closely associated with him is a double-neck model based on a Gibson 125. For his playing, one neck might be tuned in standard fashion, with the other set to an open tuning, best for the distinctive slide playing that characterizes much of Rogers’ work. “The whole Delta blues [style] is based on being able to approach the music as a soloist,” he said.
While Rogers is steeped in the blues, he uses the form as a foundation, not the be-all and end-all. “I don’t consider myself a straight-ahead blues guy,” he said. “Because I like to stretch the envelope.” That musical open-mindedness and versatility has led to work—live dates, studio sessions, production—with an extensive assortment of musicians outside the blues idiom.
Rogers’ credits in the 1990s and beyond include work with Miles Davis, Taj Mahal, Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, fellow Bay Area musical heroes Steve Miller and Carlos Santana, and many more. He also recorded and released a trio of albums with former Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek.
Even amid his numerous collaborative projects in various genres, the giants of blues remain closest to Rogers’ heart. “It all goes back to the Delta blues,” he said. “And if I can come within even a minuscule approach of what they achieved, I’m a happy guy.”
Roy Rogers & the Delta Rhythm Kings play at 4pm on Sunday, June 22 at Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. Tickets: $40.61 via ticketweb.com. 510.644.2020.
