Lifelong roots musician extraordinaire, Eric Lindell has been winning legions of fans across the USA and around the world since his 1996 debut album, Bring It Back. His compelling blend of R&B, soul and country has received widespread critical acclaim and attention from the likes of Rolling Stone, USA Today, the Los Angeles Daily News, Relix Magazine, the Chicago Sun-Times and many others, including appearances on “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” and the final episode of HBO’s “Treme.”
Playing to packed houses across the country on a nightly basis, while backed by a sizzling hot live band, Lindell’s live performances are ‘must-see’ events. (Just ask founding member of Creedence Clearwater Revival and Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame inductee John Fogerty, who jammed onstage with Eric at Tipitina’s in New Orleans to celebrate his own 20th wedding anniversary.) His annual appearances at the prestigious New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival have become the stuff of legend, and considered highlights of the two-week fest.
When not on tour with his band, Lindell plays with Dragon Smoke, the New Orleans supergroup he-co-founded in 2003 (whose members include Ivan Neville, and Galactic’s Robert Mercurio and Stanton Moore).
On Matters of the Heart Lindell continues his long-time collaboration with legendary Texas guitarist, Anson Funderburgh, whose phenomenal lead playing adds even more layers of blues and soul to the album. Another friend of Lindell’s, Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars, the Black Crowes), co-produced some of the tracks and adds some fantastic resonator slide guitar. Aptly titled, Matters of the Heart is a vibrant, entrancing journey; a work filled with passion, devotion, and soul.
Archie Bell’s journey to fame is a captivating story. Archie Bell was born in 1944 in Henderson, Texas. And he was born to sing. That is exactly what he started doing at the early age of five, and played guitar at his church. By the time he was 10, he was singing professionally, mesmerizing crowds with his powerful and soulful singing style, in night clubs in and around Houston.
Archie’s childhood musical foundation then led to his junior high school days when the doors started opening for him. In just a few years he would become a global phenomenon, with chart topping hits. At an early age Archie formed a group that began winning almost all the talent shows they entered.
It was in 1967 that Archie Bell would forever be a part of music history when he penned the international hit Tighten Up. In the first part of the song, Archie added his now famous intro, “Hi everybody, I’m Archie Bell of the Drells, we’re from Houston, Texas and we dance as good as we walk”. Archie had heard a deejay say that nothing good ever came out of Texas after the assassination of President Kennedy. Archie knew otherwise and wanted everyone to know he was proud of being a Texan.
Concert dates began to pour in, including appearances on the iconic American Bandstand. And the hits just kept on coming. The phrase Tighten Up was slang in the 1960’s for being cool and not worrying. Released during Archie’s service in the Army, Tighten Up sold 200,000 copies in just two days in New York. The record went gold and the rest is history. Archie returned from Germany to perform this song for thousands of adoring fans on tours throughout the United States.
Through his recordings, radio airplay, and personal appearances in venues ranging from roadhouses on the “Chitlin’ Circuit to Carnegie Hall, Archie has brought moments of magic to millions of adoring fans.
Today, Archie Bell continues to be a solo artist performing worldwide. He also is a writer, arranger, producer and manages select new artists.