Theodis Ealey Biography
1947, Natchez, Mississippi, USA. As a small child Ealey played guitar, encouraged by his older brother Y.Z. Later, he played bass in Y.Z.'s band, in which another brother, Melwin, was a member. He played at venues such as Vernon's place, a Natchez club later known as Hawk's Lounge, and the Horseshoe Circus. He also played guitar in another Natchez group led by Eugene Butler. Unsure of his direction, Ealey enlisted in the armed forces spending several years in Hawaii and other parts of the USA before settling in Atlanta, Georgia. There, he began singing and playing, now back on guitar, sometimes as a solo act, sometimes backing visiting bluesmen. He was heard by record company executives who signed him to the Ichiban label. Audience response to live gigs and records was good, and he won Top Star Award in 1994 in the San Francisco Bay area and the Mo' Better Blues Male Artist Of The Year Award in 1997. In 2001 Ealey played a Natchez engagement that found him onstage for the first time since the early 60s with brothers Y.Z. and Melwin for a session that also involved another brother, David (Ealey has 10 siblings). Ealey's playing style is eclectic, though largely rooted in contemporary electronic blues. His technique is accomplished and he can play with raw ferocity when the music or venue demands. His repertoire draws from singers as diverse as Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson, and he also writes some of his own songs. Ealey ranges through ballads and tough tales, with some songs that have explicit lyrics. This led to a double release of 2004's Stand Up In It, one for those who might be easily dismayed; although it seems that most people, including some radio stations, could take the raunchier version. Indeed, the album's title song reached number 1 spot on Billboard's R&B/Hip Hop Singles chart and the album itself debuted on the Blues Album chart. Among the songs in Ealey's repertoire are "If You Leave Me, I'm Going Wit'cha", "Looking Up At The Bottom", "Gimme Just A Little Sign", "Stop Doggin' Me Around", "I've Got The Blues", and the charming "A Song For My Daughter". Ealey has an interest in IFGAM Records (I Feel Good About Myself).
Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.
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