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Vince Agwada

Chicago, IL

Biography

Vince Agwada, a guitarist of the highest caliber, has been a fixture on the Chicago blues scene for over 25 years. As a teen he played in numerous basement and garage bands playing an assortment of styles ranging from James Brown to Led Zeppelin to Frank Zappa. He states: "We didn't discriminate, whatever was hot at the time was fair game. The band that I did my first gig with had a set list that included songs by the Isley Brothers, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, James Brown, Buddy Miles, Jimi He...

Vince Agwada, a guitarist of the highest caliber, has been a fixture on the Chicago blues scene for over 25 years. As a teen he played in numerous basement and garage bands playing an assortment of styles ranging from James Brown to Led Zeppelin to Frank Zappa. He states: "We didn't discriminate, whatever was hot at the time was fair game. The band that I did my first gig with had a set list that included songs by the Isley Brothers, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, James Brown, Buddy Miles, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Black Sabbath, and Donny Hathaway!" Reflecting on his early childhood years he goes on to state: "My Dad was from Nigeria and was deep into traditional African and Classical music. My Mom is from here and loves R&B, Jazz, and Gospel music, so I grew up hearing a lot of different kinds of music from a very young age. I never thought about it until now but I guess that my parents had a lot to do with my eclecticism with regard to music. "He got his start in the Blues hanging out at Theresa's, a world renown blues haven, and at Buddy Guy's Checkerboard Lounge, and received his blues education jamming with and backing journeymen players such as Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Magic Slim, Otis Rush, John Primer, Syl Johnson, Sammy Lawhorn, Louis Meyers, Johnny Littlejohn and the late Lefty Dizz, who was the first to let the teen sit in on his legendary "Blue Monday" jam sessions.Vince reminiscing on those times: "That was a magical period in my life, I had come from a fairly straightlaced family and didn't grow up hearing a lot of blues. It was through records that I discovered that a lot of these great Blues artists whom many of my idols at the time cited as influences were right here in Chicago. Although I came around a little too late to meet cats like Muddy, Little Walter and Howlin Wolf, on any given night you might still have Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Louis Myers, Dave Myers, Sammy Lawhorn, Lefty Dizz, Johnny Dollar, Son Seals, Otis Rush, Artie White, and just a slew of other greats all in the same room; it was an incredible time for me and I learned an awful lot more from all of these greats than any college could ever have taught me" Throughout the 1980s and 90s Vince toured the United States, Canada and Europe with many of Chicago's premiere acts including Bernie Mac, Buddy Guy, Koko Taylor, Zora Young, Jimmy Johnson, Son Seals, Junior Wells, Valerie Wellington, The Dells, Sugar Blue, Larry McCray, The Morris Ellis Orchestra, and Magic Slim as well as his own outfits, One Eyed Jax, and the Vince Agwada Band. In 1996 he was voted one of the top 40 Blues artists under 40 in the country by Living Blues Magazine (issue 120).Now a well seasoned pro,Vince has earned the right to step into the spotlight. With his trademark stinging guitar lines, husky voice, clever arrangements and compositions that combine elements of jazz, rock, and rhythm and blues, Vince stands poised to become a major player in the continued evolution of the blues.Discography:Vince Agwada - "Eyes of the City"Son Seals - "Live at B.L.U.E.S."Buddy Guy & Junior Wells - "Live at Nightstage" (concert video)Sugar Blue - "In Your Eyes" (composer)Sugar Blue & Paul Camilleri - "Vagabonding With Sugar Blue & Paul Camilleri" (composer)Nanette Frank - "There's Room"Chicago Beau - "My Ancestors"Camille Houston - "Freestyle"Bill McFarland & The Chicago Horns - "Fire Horns Alive and Live"Ruby Harris - "Almost Home"Ron Prince & Hard Time - "Paroled"Tina Moore - "Time Will Tell"Various Artists - "Live at Redbone's"

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Songs (6)

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