A FEW WORDS ABOUT TOMMY CASTRO

     When anyone mentions Chicago style Blues music, my mind immediately lands on Tommy Castro. Tommy Castro is a Portuguese American artist, from San Jose, California. He was born on April 15, 1955. (We share a birthdate, but not the year!) Tommy's youth was impoverished, growing up in a single family home, with two sisters and his brother, Ray Castro.

     Mom would take on extra ironing, at 10 cents per item, to help her children have a good life. (I was told this by Ray himself, at one of Tommy's gigs.) Ray taught his little brother, Tommy, how to play the guitar. As you will read in my interview with Tommy, he worked tirelessly to hone his skills. His talent, guitar prowess and stage presence, took him to heights he would never dream of happening to a kid, from the wrong side of his San Jose town.

     After signing his first record deal with Blind Pig Records (formerly of Michigan, now based in San Francisco), he won the Bay Area Music Award for "Outstanding Blues Album," titled "Exception To The Rule" and "Outstanding Blues Musician" in 1997. Concurrently, he became exposed to millions of television viewers, with his eponymous  Tommy Castro Band, as they became the house band for the NBC Television Comedy Showcase, playing 3 years straight.

     In 2001 and 2002, Tommy was invited by B.B. King himself, to open his summer concert series. Every night, while on the tour, B.B. King and Tommy closed out the show, onstage together. It was right about this time I discovered the music of Tommy Castro, quite by accident. An old suitor, brought me with him to see Tommy, at the famed and now closed Blue Cafe, in Long Beach, CA.

     While onstage, at this particular concert, a very inebriated woman, climbed up and proceeded to remove her top, exposing herself. I had never experienced anything like that display! Everyone was shocked, security totally dropped the ball, and the band just kept on playing, laughing, but playing! It certainly requires expert concentration to continue a song, while women drunkenly become naked beside you.

     By the time 2004 rolled around, I was heavily involved with the local Blues band, "Savage City." They (Savage City) opened for Tommy, at the old Galaxy Theater, located in Santa Ana, Ca. While there, I had the fortune of meeting Tommy's brother Ray, who like me, worked the trenches for our prospective minstrels in the ever-so-important merchandise booth. I have relayed some of what Ray and I discussed that night in my interview with Tommy. Certain performers can be on the arrogant side, but there is nothing but humbleness, fun, and gratefulness on the part of Tommy and his entire staff. He came out after the show, and signed autographs and visited with his fans until every person was satisfied.

     Tommy joined Chicago's Alligator Records in 2009, with his new album release, "Hard Believer," and subsequently won "Blues Male Artist of the Year," "Best Contemporary Blues Album of the Year," "B.B. King Entertainer of the Year," and with his band "The Painkillers," "Band of the Year."

     The band that has backed Tommy Castro for many years, AKA, "The Painkillers," consists of bass player Randy McDonald (who take it from me, is crazy), Mike Emerson on Keyboards, and drummer Bowen Brown. Their latest release is called "A Bluesman Came to Town," on Alligator Records.

     Tommy and the Painkillers are currently on their 30th Anniversary Tour.

For more information, please visit www.tommycastro.com. To this day, Tommy considers his Mother as his biggest hero and continues to honor her with his musical achievement.