Friday 5:45pmSean Chambers spent the first few years of his life growing up in Satellite Beach, Florida, before he and his family moved to Tampa when Sean was four years old. At the age of 10, Sean’s parents bought him a guitar as a Christmas present. It was at that point that Chambers would realize his calling. “As soon as I got the hang of playing the guitar, I knew this is what I wanted to do more than anything,” remembers Sean.
While Chambers was a fan of some of the
popular rock bands of the era, he was also quite taken with the sounds
of Jimi Hendrix. In fact, it was Hendrix's catalogue that the young
Chambers studied in depth, which had a noticeable influence on his
style at an early age. "I learned to play by ear. My parents bought me
a few lessons when I got my first guitar, but I wasn't learning to play
the stuff I wanted, so I stopped going to the lessons and started
spending my time playing along to Hendrix tunes." It was through those
Hendrix songs such as "Red House," "Catfish Blues" and so on, that Sean
discovered his passion for blues music. In his teen years, he started
discovering and listening to such greats as Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters,
Albert, Freddie and B.B. King, Albert Collins, Stevie Ray Vaughan and
Johnny Winter.
Sean
started his first band when he was 19 years old, playing local clubs
around the Tampa Bay area, where he quickly began to establish a
following. After having only a few years of experience under his belt,
he found himself sharing bills with such artists as B.B. King, Robert
Cray, Buddy Guy and several other greats. He soon began expanding his
horizons outside of the Tampa area to venues in and around his home
state of Florida.
After
playing a number of clubs and concert venues throughout his early and
mid twenties, Chambers released his critically acclaimed debut
recording, Strong Temptation, in October of 1998. The album captured
the attention of both fans and critics alike. Guitar Magazine said
about Sean: "Chambers plays his Strat with dirty ferocity, evoking
shades of Johnny Winter and Freddie King in the process!"
Since
then, Chambers has had a number of milestones in his career, one of
which was becoming the musical director and guitarist for the legendary
Hubert Sumlin. Touring the world with Sumlin for almost five years,
they performed before sellout crowds at festivals, clubs and theaters
around the US, Europe, Japan, and Canada, building a worldwide fan base
along the way. Chambers recalls: "My band would usually open the show,
and then we would bring Hubert out and back him up for his show. I
consider it my college education in music. I learned so much from
Hubert!" Following in the footsteps of many of his idols, Chambers has
been especially well received outside the U.S., and particularly in
Europe, where he has both toured with Sumlin and on his own. Europe's
premiere music authority, Guitarist Magazine, listed Sean as one of the
Top 50 Blues Guitarists of the last century. Europe's Total Guitar
Magazine gave Strong Temptation five stars and cited the record as "The
most impressive blues debut since SRV's Texas Flood." Chambers
continued to develop his powerful style on his 2005 release, Humble
Spirits, which showcases his musical evolution beyond the standard
blues idiom. Produced by industry veteran Bud Snyder (Allman Brothers/
Gov't Mule), the album features several notable musicians including
Bernard Allison, Frankie & Danny Toler (Allman Brothers)and Bobby
T. Torello (Johnny Winter), along with Greg Allman Band alumnus Bruce
Waibel.
Sean Chambers' Website
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