Eric Gales Explained

Eric Gales
Alias:Raw Dawg
Birth Date:29 October 1974
Birth Place:Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Instrument:Guitar
Genre:Blues rock, hard rock, heavy metal
Occupation:Musician
Years Active:1990 - present
Label:Cleopatra Blues (a division of Cleopatra), Elektra, House of Blues, MCA, Shrapnel, Blues Bureau International, Provogue
Spouse:LaDonna Gales[1]

Eric Gales (born October 29, 1974), also known as Raw Dawg, is an American blues rock guitarist, originally hailed as a child prodigy., Gales has recorded nineteen albums for major record labels and has done session and tribute work. He has also contributed vocals on several records by the Memphis rap groups Prophet Posse and Three 6 Mafia under the names Lil E and Mack E.

Career

Gales picked up the guitar at age four. His older siblings, Eugene and Manuel (Little Jimmy King), taught him songs and licks when he was young, in the style of Jimi Hendrix, Albert King, B.B. King and others. In 1985, the young Gales began to play at blues competitions with his brother Eugene backing him on bass. Although Gales plays a right-handed guitar "upside-down" (with the bass E string on the bottom), he is not naturally left-handed; he was taught by his brother, who is left-handed, and never second-guessed the nontraditional technique.[2]

In late 1990, Eric and Eugene Gales signed with Elektra Records, and together with the drummer Hubert Crawford released The Eric Gales Band (1991) and Picture of a Thousand Faces (1993). Guitar World magazine's Reader's Poll named Eric the "Best New Talent", in 1991. During this time he had two rock radio hits, "Sign of the Storm" (number 9, U.S. Mainstream Rock) and "Paralyzed" (number 31, U.S. Mainstream Rock)[3] and had spots on television programs such as The Arsenio Hall Show.

In 1994, Gales performed with Carlos Santana at Woodstock '94.[4] In 1995, Gales teamed up with both of his brothers to record an album, Left Hand Brand (released in 1996), as the Gales Brothers.[5] In 2001 Gales released his album That's What I Am on MCA Records.[6]

Gales has released the albums Crystal Vision, The Psychedelic Underground, The Story of My Life and Layin' Down the Blues on the Shrapnel Records label. Relentless (2010) was followed by Transformation (2011) and Live (2012).[7]

In 2004, he contributed a cover of "May This Be Love" to the album .[8] In 2008, he and other guitarists participated in the touring tribute to Jimi Hendrix, Experience Hendrix.[9] The touring group of musicians included Billy Cox, Eric Johnson, Chris Layton, Doyle Bramhall II, Brad Whitford and Mitch Mitchell (it was the last tour that Mitchell played on).

In the winter of 2010, Gales returned to the touring circuit in Europe with TM Stevens on bass guitar and Keith LeBlanc on drums. The tour was billed as VooDoo Chile and featured works of Jimi Hendrix as well as original material from both Gales and Stevens.

In February 2013, Magna Carta Records released the album Pinnick Gales Pridgen, produced by Mike Varney and featuring Gales on guitar and vocals, Doug Pinnick on bass and vocals, and Thomas Pridgen on drums. The 13-track album featured one cover song, "Sunshine of Your Love", originally by Cream, one short instrumental based on Ludwig van Beethoven's "Für Elise", and the remaining songs written by some combination of Pinnick, Gales, Pridgen and Varney.[10] The follow-up album, PGP2, was released in July 2014.[11]

In 2017, Gales released his fifteenth studio effort, Middle of the Road, featuring numerous artists, including Gary Clark Jr., Lauryn Hill and others, as well as his own brother and mother.[12] [13] The album became his first to chart on Billboards Top Blues Album chart, peaking at No. 4, while Gales' following album, The Bookends, topped the chart at No. 1.[14] On May 9, 2019, he won the Blues Music Award for 'Blues Rock Artist of the Year'.[15] In his acceptance speech, he said he was celebrating three years of sobriety.[16] In May 2020, Gales won his second consecutive Blues Music Award as the 'Blues Rock Artist of the Year'.[17]

On October 21, 2021, Gales released the single "I Want My Crown," featuring Joe Bonamassa. The song serves as the lead single from his upcoming album Crown. Produced by Bonamassa and Josh Smith, the album was released on January 28, 2022. The album highlights Gales' "struggles with substance abuse, his hopes about a new era of sobriety and unbridled creativity, and his personal reflections on racism."[18] Upon release, it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Blues Album chart, his second to do so. It also garnered Gales his first Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album.[19]

Discography

Solo Albums

As Session Musician

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Seah . Daniel . Musicians rally in support of Eric Gales, who has been hit with COVID-19 . Guitar.com . October 13, 2020 . February 14, 2024.
  2. Web site: Eric Gales and the Gales Brothers . Personal.mco.bellsouth.net . March 18, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120220083522/http://personal.mco.bellsouth.net/m/u/murf01/e-gale/e-gale2.htm . February 20, 2012 .
  3. Web site: Eric Gales – Awards . . March 18, 2013.
  4. Web site: Eric Gales and Santana Live at Woodstock 94 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170210230635/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JGzf6Dk17k. 2017-02-10 . dead. . March 1, 2011 . March 18, 2013.
  5. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p94014/biography|pure_url=yes}} Little Jimmy King]. Skelly, Richard. . December 19, 2011.
  6. News: ERIC GALES "That's What I Am" . The Washington Post.
  7. Web site: Eric Gales . 2023-10-05 . Shrapnel Label Group, Inc . en.
  8. Web site: Rod Brakes . 2022-04-19 . Watch a 14-Year-Old Eric Gales Destroying the Competition During a Battle of the Bands Contest in 1989 . 2023-10-05 . Guitar Player . en.
  9. News: Chinen . Nate . 2008-10-22 . Move Over, Rover. Let Jimi Take Over. . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-10-05 . 0362-4331.
  10. Web site: Interview: Eric Gales & Doug Pinnick - Gospel Grooves & Abnormal Blues - Premier Guitar . 2023-10-05 . www.premierguitar.com . en.
  11. Web site: Pinnick Gales Pridgen . Magnacarta.net . December 28, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130225163240/http://magnacarta.net/pinnickgalespridgen/index.html . February 25, 2013 . dead .
  12. Web site: Eric Gales Is Back, Making the Most of a Second Chance - American Blues Scene. Barry. Kerzner. March 22, 2017. Americanbluesscene.com. June 21, 2018.
  13. Web site: The return of Eric Gales, the guitarist who could be king. Louderthansound.com. February 10, 2017. June 21, 2018.
  14. Web site: Eric Gales : Chart History. Billboard.com. June 21, 2018.
  15. Web site: 2019 Blues Music Awards Winners Announced. Antimusic.com. May 11, 2019.
  16. Web site: 40TH BLUES MUSIC AWARD NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED. January 7, 2019. Blues.org. May 11, 2019.
  17. Web site: BLUES MUSIC AWARDS. Robin. McKay. Blues.org. May 4, 2020.
  18. Web site: Owen . Matt . Eric Gales trades guitar solo blows with Joe Bonamassa in dueling new single, I Want My Crown . Guitar World . October 21, 2021 . 14 December 2021.
  19. Web site: Owen . Matt . Ozzy Osbourne, Muse, Megadeth, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Eric Gales, Bonnie Raitt and Wet Leg nominated for 2023 Grammys . Guitar World . November 16, 2022 . Guitar World Magazine . 16 November 2022.
  20. Web site: Primitive Son – Eli Cook | Credits . . January 4, 2016.

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