Lightnin' Willie and the Poorboys

Born in Dallas and raised along the highways between Texas and California, Lightnin' Willie has spent a lifetime chasing the sound, stories and spirit of American blues.
A two-time California Blues Challenge winner, Willie has built a career across decades of touring, recording and performing. His catalogue includes eight acclaimed albums and his shows blend sharp guitar work, sly humour, swing, soul and deep blues feeling.

His early musical spark came in Mexico, watching local musicians pull feeling and rhythm from weathered guitars. That raw, handmade sound stayed with him and helped shape the road he would follow.

Willie learned the blues through travel, work, late nights, dance halls, clubs and the hard education of the road. His playing carries the influence of Muddy Waters, B.B. King, T-Bone Walker and the great electric blues tradition - but his voice, timing and stage presence are unmistakably his own.

Today, Lightnin' Willie stands as a true Americana bluesman: seasoned, original, and completely at home on stage. His music honors the tradition without turning it into a museum piece. It is alive, road-tested and still moving forward.

Accompanied by the Poorboys Giles King (harmonica) and Aaron McRobbie (bass) and Paul 'Nobby' Birch (drums).

Courtyard Theatre
£17.50