Blackie and the Rodeo Kings

Blackie and the Rodeo Kings
Background information
Origin	Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Genres	Folk rock, alternative country
Years active	1996 (1996)–present
Labels	True North, MCA Canada
Members	Stephen Fearing Colin Linden Tom Wilson
Past members	John Dymond Gary Craig Richard Bell
Website	rodeokings

Blackie and the Rodeo Kings are a Canadian folk rock/alternative country band with blues and country influences. The band was formed in 1996, in Hamilton, Ontario, by Tom Wilson, Stephen Fearing, and Colin Linden.

Career

Early Period: 1990s

Tom Wilson (former lead singer of Junkhouse), solo artist Stephen Fearing, and guitarist/ producer Colin Linden, first started Blackie and the Rodeo Kings as a tribute to one of their favorite Canadian folk artists, singer-songwriter Willie P. Bennett. Their name was taken from Bennett’s 1978 album Blackie and the Rodeo King. What started as a side project soon turned into a full fledged band after their first album High or Hurtin’: The Songs of Willie P. Bennett was a critical success and popular with both fans of Bennett as well as each individual artist. Blackie and the Rodeo Kings have five full length studio albums and many awards and nominations under their belt. In 1999, the band recorded Kings of Love which received a Juno Award for Best Roots & Traditional Album - Group in 2000.

The band originally played shows at such venues as The Black Sheep Inn in Wakefield, Quebec.

2000s

In 2003, the band recorded Bark. Kings of Love and Bark still had cover versions of Bennett's songs, but they also included some original material by the band members and cover versions of songs by Bruce Cockburn, Fred Eaglesmith and David Wiffen. In 2005, the band was included in a list published by the New York Times of songs found on President George W. Bush's iPod. In 2006, the band recorded Let's Frolic!, consisting of all-original material.

In 2009, the compilation album Swinging from the Chains of Love was released, which included the previously unreleased "Caves of Jericho" and a cover of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues".

Winner of the 7th annual Independent Music Awards Vox Pop vote for best Band Venue Poster done by Michael Wrycraft.

Members

Tom Wilson: Former lead singer of the 1990s rock group Junkhouse, currently a member of Blackie and the Rodeo Kings and LeE HARVeY OsMOND. He has had vast success with these groups as well as in his solo career. Wilson has been in the music industry for over three decades. He started his career in music with the band The Florida Razors recording “Beat Music” in 1986 as his first full length album. Today Wilson has worked some of the best in the industry. He collaborated with Bob Lanois for their 1995 album “The Shack Recording, Vol.1” and worked with everyone from Gary Tallent (of The E Street Band) to David Roe (bassist for Johnny Cash). His solo albums include Planet Love (2001) and Dog Years (2006).

Stephen Fearing: Solo artist Stephen Fearing has been in the music business for over 20 years, born in Vancouver he spent most of this childhood in Dublin, Ireland. He has worked with such legendary producers as Clive Gregson (for his album Blue Line, 1989), and Steve Berlin of Los Lobos (for The Assassin’s Apprentice from 1994 which also featured fellow Canadian Sarah McLachlan). Fearing has recorded 8 solo albums and has won many awards for his efforts including a West Coast Music Award for Best Folk music recording as well as many Juno nominations.

Colin Linden: Guitarist/ Producer for Blackie and the Rodeo Kings. This solo artist has found great success in his projects that range from Colin James to The Band. Like the rest of his Blackie and the Rodeo Kings bandmates Linden also has worked with Bruce Cockburn. Linden has also tried his luck at acting, making his debut in the Coen Brothers' film Intolerable Cruelty as “Father Scott”. Linden has won countless Junos, East Coast Music Awards and other great accolades for his achievements.

Alternative Members

John Dymond: Bassist for Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, as well as other well known Canadians artists such as Amanda Wilkinson, The Wilkinsons, k.d. lang, Bruce Cockburn and more.

Gary Craig: Drummer/ Percussionist for Blackie and the Rodeo Kings. Craig has performed with just about everyone in Canadian music from Anne Murray to Jann Arden.

Richard Bell: (b. March 5, 1946, Toronto - d. June 15, 2007, Toronto) pianist for Janis Joplin, worked with Blackie and the Rodeo Kings as their keyboardist for a number of years before his death in 2007.

Discography

Albums

Year	Album
1996	High or Hurtin': The Songs of Willie P. Bennett
1999	Kings of Love
2003	Bark
2006	Let's Frolic
2007	Let's Frolic Again
2009	Swinging from the Chains of Love
2011	Kings and Queens

Singles

Year	Single	Chart Positions		Album
		CAN Country	CAN Rock
1996	"Lace & Pretty Flowers"	94		High or Hurtin'
1997	"White Line"
1999	"The Lucky Ones"	82		Kings of Love
	"Lean on Your Peers"		19
2003	"Swinging from the Chains of Love"			Bark
	"Had Enough of You Today"
2004	"Water or Gasoline"
	"You're So Easy to Love"
2006	"That's What I Like"			Let's Frolic
2007	"The Fool Who Can't Forget"
	"Buried in Your Heart"
2011	"Got You Covered" (with Rosanne Cash)			Kings and Queens

Blackie and the Rodeo Kings music also found on

• Borrowed Tunes II- A Tribute to Neil Young - "Unknown Legend" Cover. All proceeds for this album go to Safe Haven and The Bridge School
• Weirdsville Soundtrack- Features their song "Stoned" off their album "Bark"(2003)
• Johnny's Blues: A Tribute To Johnny Cash (Northern Blues, 2003). Contains cover of "Folsom Prison Blues".
• Beautiful - A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot Contains cover of "Summer Side of Love".

External links

• Blackie and the Rodeo Kings official website