All guitar players, musicians, blues fans, or general music fans are invited to a Benefit for Bobby Alexis to be held at the Big Easy Social and Pleasure Club in Houston Texas on Sunday April 11. From 2:00 till at least 7:00 you will have the opportunity to see and hear some of the finest Blues musicians in Houston performing in honor of long time Albert Collins Keyboard man, Bobby Alexis.

Bobby passed away recently. He toured with Albert for over 20 years. He also played and toured with Bo Diddly, BB King, Freddie King, Guitar Shorty and many others in the professional Blues world. Bobby used Fender amps when he played live and recorded with Albert Collins and up to the time of his death. Bobby can be heard and seen on the recent Albert Collins DVD releases and appeared on most of the Albert Collins recordings over the years.

The above benefit will be for his family and is open to anyone that wishes to attend and honor his memory and music. It is expected that the line up will include Texas Johnny Brown, Trudy Lynn, Little Stanley and the Executives, Mojofromopolis, Lady D, and many other old school Houston BLUES musicians.

Bobby got his start with the Duke and Peacock record labels in Houston and was playing with Albert Collins when he was rediscovered by Canned Heat in the 3rd ward of Houston in the 60's.

These types of events USUALLY turn into a jam at the end so bring your instruments, just in case.

Hi, welcome to the forums
Sprry to hear the news, sounds like a great send off though. Hope you stick around the forums.

Bill

It is an interesting story how Albert Collins became a national Blues figure. He had a series of regional instrumental hits but was still playing around Houston as a local Black Blues player. At the time (mid 60's) most of his gigs were in the Black areas of Houston, the 3rd ward, 5th ward, etc. Basically playing wherever he could get a gig in little clubs.

At that time Dowling street, in the 3rd ward, was a very active Black area of town with live music clubs up and down the street and a very active, day and night, street, and music scene. There are still a few remnants of the clubs along Dowling today, but that area is a shadow of what it was back than. Albert had trouble getting gigs in spite of his regional hits because he was always late and not very dependable.

It was the height of the hippie era in California, the Blues band Canned Heat was on tour. I don't know where they had played the night before but the band had a day off and decided to try to find Albert Collins. Bob, the bear, and some of the guys in Canned heat were huge blues fans and aware of many of the more obscure Black artists that were not national names at that time and had not crossed over to the white audience.

Albert had a gig, with Bobby Alexis on keys, in one of the many many Black clubs. They were in the middle of the gig, people in the club drinking and having a good time. A totally Black audience of course, in a part of town that did not see a lot of whites. They were blown away when in the door came a bunch of young white guys. (You have to realize that Texas at that time had not really been influenced at all by the hippie movement and was still very segregated.) It was members of Canned Heat, with long hair, wearing robes and sandals, beads, all decked out as full fledged West Coast hippies. The audience was blown away. It was amazing to see a bunch of young white guys come into a 3rd ward club, it was totally outrageous to see hippies in those years.

It is possible that if Albert and Bobby did not have a gig that day, or if they were out fishing, or doing something else, that the Blues world would have never heard of Albert Collins. Within a few weeks, Albert Collins was brought to the West coast by Canned Heat and hooked up with a record label. Bobby Alexis joined Albert in California shortly after and began touring with him as keyboard player and best friend. Their musical partnership continued for another 25 or so years after that, their close friendship continued till Alberts death.

There, this gives me a reason to top this thread.

Bobby used to tell me how strange it was that he and Albert Collins would be playing in front of thousands of fans one week and washing airplanes at the airport to make some money the next week.

The life of a blues-man!!!!!

Like I said above, come out on April 11 and help us celebrate Bobby's life and music.

I cant promise that it will turn into a jam, but if it does there will be two guitar amps, keys, bass amp and drums on stage.

For you young guys, many of the musicians that will be there are in the 60-80 age group. These guys will all be gone within the next ten to twenty years. What you will see and hear at this event will be like about a years worth of guitar lessons crammed into five hours.

Guys that are too young to have ever seen the real deal in Blues do not realize the raw power and drive that these types of players had in their prime. What you hear on recordings really can not capture the raw emotion and power of this era of player live.

This event will virtually be a free clinic for the young player. The national guitar workshop might cost you about $900 and would be well worth it. This event will cost you just a few bucks donation for the family, if you choose to do so, and might change your perception of blues music.

Sounds very cool, I heard some of the musicians I jam with talking about it earlier this week. I really hope I can make it out there.

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Yes, you should try to make it out.

Many of the musicians that will be there are 60-80, and these guys will not be around for more than another ten or fifteen years.

This event starts at 2:00, and if you are a young player, it would be well worth your time to be there for the whole event, from 2:00 to 7:00.

This event is not a formal Jam, so if you bring an instrument, just leave it in the car till you have a chance to see if there is anyone you know to talk to about playing. But, the odds are good it will turn into an open jam at some point.

Please help out BY TELLING ANYONE YOU KNOW THAT IS A BLUES FAN OR BLUES PLAYER ABOUT THIS EVENT AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO COME OUT!!!!!!

Posted to bluesrepublic ...

http://www.bluesrepublic.org/blogs/news ... texas.aspx

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Thank you Tom, good idea.

Anyone, feel free to re-post this message on any blues or music or other sites that might have interested people. Not only will this event benefit Bobby's family who have been left in a bad financial situation, but it will be a chance to hear and see many old school Blues musicians, before that generation of players and singers is gone.

For you younger people, there is s great difference between the old time musicians and what you see and hear now. Events like this are a quickly disappearing opportunity for you to have a link to and understanding of Blues history on a first hand basis.

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE to all that spread the word on this event and to all that are able to attend. And.......THANK YOU TO FENDER COMMUNITY!!!!

RLA, welcome to the Forum. I met The Bear and The Mole at the Kinetic Playground in '68, very cool "hippies" with a real love of American Blues music. I am far away from the event but hope that you have great time! R.I.P. Bobby Alexis.

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

Came back at the perfect time!!!!

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Nice goggles!!!

for those who know who Shaun White and and Dan Kass...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0PqyvHx ... D&index=40

Bobby used to tell me about touring with Bo Diddly. He hated to fly and for much of the time did not have a bus. They often "toured" by greyhound bus. Bo would buy them bus tickets and they would put their stuff in the luggage compartment under the bus and away they would go.

The glamorous life of a Blues Man.

Well we are close to the benefit now. I am hearing of some great musicians that are planing to be there. Names like

Trudy Lynn-multible Blues Music Award nominee and international Blues singer. Trudy is not a household name but has played all over the world and released at least 12 CDs over the past twenty years. an amazing, charismatic singer.

Texas Johnny Brown-In his 80's, a true link to the Blues of the past he continues to perform with his band all over the Houston area.

Little Stanley and The Executives-Composed of long time Houston players. Many of the members of this band have played with national names including Albert Collins, Guitar shorty, Johnny Copeland, etc. Represented Houston at the IBC in Memphis a few years back. Most of the original members of the group will be together for this event. (Stanley Hampton, Sam Pemberton, Don Lee, Chaz Nadige).

Other musicians that are likely to be there include Lady D, Juan Abair, Robert Mason (drummer for Johnny Copeland), the Mojofromopolis band, Little Joe Washington, Roger Valentine,

A few more names that are in the line up for this event are Bobby Mack and John Richardson. Former Guitar Shorty Drummer, Dave Pennington, will be filling in on drums with Little Stanley and The Executives.

Well, thanks for the hospitality here at The Fender Lounge. Hope some of you can make it to the benefit tomorrow.

Bring your instrument in case the event turns into a jam. Please leave them in the car if you can till you know if it will be a jam. If it does end up as a jam amps are optional since there will be two guitar amps, keys, bass amp, and drums on stage.

To any that do make it out there will be a few posters of the event that I think, I am not positive, will be for sale at the event. By a few I mean perhaps about 20, so these will be a rare poster for those that collect Blues posters. Since Bobby was the keys for Albert Collins and the Icebreakers for 25 years, these posters will have an Albert Collins tie-in, besides listing Bobby and the bands that are playing the benefit.

If you are able, I am sure there will be some type of tip bucket fo donations for the Alexis family. Thanks Again.