THE SKYDOGS
A BLUES ROCK BAND FULL OF SPUNK AND VERVE, BORDERING
ON ECTASTICAL. FIVE SEASONED MUSICIANS WHO PLAY
MUSIC BECAUSE THEY LOVE IT. BECAUSE IT’S PART OF THEIR
GENETIC MAKE UP, IF THEY DON’T PLAY MUSIC IT WILL
SOMEHOW EFFECT THE COSMOS. THERE WILL BE FLOODS,
FAMINE, AND VIOLENCE IN THE STREETS. THE MOON WILL
TURN BLOOD RED AND THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT WILL
CEASE TO EXIST.
WILL YOU HIRE THEM AND SAVE THE WORLD?
The Musicians
PHILLIP DALE DURHAM – DRUMS, VOCALS
Stax recording artist,
Phillip Dale Durham, played his first show at sixteen and he was hooked. At a magical time in musical history, Phil
(playing drums with “The Group”) toured with bands like “The Yardbirds”, with
Jeff Beck, “The Byrds”, and “The Beau Brumels”. He joined legendary Memphis
band, “Moloch”, co-writing and singing four songs on their self-titled album,
honing his craft at blues festivals backing Blues greats like Furry Lewis,
Bukka White, Piano Red, Johnny Woods, and the like. Phil has been fortunate to
play with major acts such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Jackie Wilson, B J Thomas, Rufus
Thomas, Marvel and Carla Thomas, Albert King, and Ann Peebles. He has also
recorded sessions with Etta James. He is THE SKYDOGS elder statesman and he
brings a lot of seasoning to the soup.
RICK MCCONNELL – GUITAR, VOCALS
Rick first picked up the
guitar in 1964 as a young kid wanting to learn the current songs of the day. He
formed his first band in 1968, “The Twin Engines”, playing at school dances and
other functions. By the age of 14, Rick was playing in bars and dancehalls in
the Memphis and surrounding areas. It was around this time that he bought his
first B.B. King record and decided that he would base his playing on the Blues
masters. After countless bands and other musical projects, he co-founded THE
SKYDOGS with bassist Guy Venable in 1989. This began a long-running musical
partnership. Rick has performed with the likes of Chuck Berry, Jim “Dandy”
Mangrum, James Cotton, and a host of others. With a guitar style that recalls
Hendrix, SRV, Clapton, and others, Rick McConnell never fails to captivate
audiences.
GUY JR. VENABLE – BASS, VOCALS
Coming from a blues
background, Guy has developed a solid bass style with a strong groove that fits
perfect with the music of THE SKYDOGS. Some of Guy’s credits include: Band
leader for Muddy Waters’ harmonica player Mojo Buford, working with rock
guitarist Mason Ruffner of “Gypsy Blood” fame and recording CD, “The Alley
Cats”, with guitarist and producer Brad Webb for the Boogie Barbeque label. An
accomplished vocalist and songwriter, Guy has written songs recorded by Stax
recording artist Susanne Beulle and European favorite Ms. Zeno, the Louisiana
Mojo Queen. Always looking to the future, Guy and THE SKYDOGS are looking to
continue creating and playing their music to audiences everywhere.
LYN JONES – HARMONICA,
FLUTE, GUITAR, VOCALS
Since his first sock hop in
the mid-60’s when he realized he couldn’t dance, Lyn Jones has been playing in
the band. Between The Velours and THE SKYDOGS, he performed and toured with an
eclectic variety of musical talent including the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, The
Claude King Show, 12th Street Quartet, RT Scott, Sun Rhythm Section,
The Bama Band, Larry Raspberry & The Highsteppers, The Settlers, and Paul
Wood. Lyn also has an extensive history of session work, including numerous
jingles and movie soundtracks. He is a 9-time nominee (’91 winner) of the NARAS
Premiere Player Award and a Hohner Harmonica endorsee for the last 8 years. Lyn
is excited about being a member of the new SKYDOGS. He’s looking forward to
“more music and fun than a band oughtta have”.
STEVE EARNSHAW – BASS,
PART-TIME SKYDOG
A native of Blackburn,
England, Steve Earnshaw moved to the States in 1993. Having played classical
guitar since the age of 8 and played bass in English blues bands including Red
Dog and The Stumble, Steve decided to move to Memphis. His fondness for THE
SKYDOGS can be traced back 10 years when they let him sit in for his first
Beale Street experience. He has since played with Metropolitan Avenue, Chance
Wayne, and the Blues City Café House Band. Steve opened up for B.B. King at the
Indianola Blues Festival with Mike Santana, played at the King Biscuit Blues
Festival, and has been a sideman for Jimmy Wolf, Eric Hughes, and Butch
Mudbone. Steve still considers himself to be an Englishman Abroad and the only
member of THE SKYDOGS with a valid green card.