Doyle Bramhall II

Doyle Bramhall II (born December 24, 1968)[2] is an American guitarist, producer and songwriter best known for his work with Eric Clapton and Roger Waters. He is the son of the songwriter and drummer Doyle Bramhall.

Not to be confused with Doyle Bramhall.

Doyle Bramhall II
Background information
Born (1968-12-24) December 24, 1968
Dallas, Texas[1]
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • songwriter
  • producer
Instrument(s)
  • Guitar
  • vocals
  • drums
Years active1984–present
Websitedb2music.com

Early life

Bramhall was born in Texas and lived half of his life in Northern California. His father, Doyle Bramhall Sr., played drums for the legendary bluesmen Lightnin' Hopkins and Freddie King and was a lifelong collaborator with his childhood friends Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimmie Vaughan.

Career

When Bramhall was 18, he toured with Jimmie Vaughan's band the Fabulous Thunderbirds.

He co-founded the blues rock band Arc Angels with Charlie Sexton and members from Stevie Ray Vaughan's rhythm section, Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon.

He released his first solo album Doyle Bramhall II in 1996.

Bramhall received phone calls from both Roger Waters and Eric Clapton[3] following the 1999 release of Jellycream. Bramhall joined Waters on his In the Flesh tour, playing guitar and providing background and lead vocals. His performances were recorded on the subsequent live album and DVD In the Flesh – Live. Bramhall also played guitar on Clapton's Riding With the King, a collaboration with B.B. King. This album included Clapton's and King's songs and covers of blues songs (including two Bramhall-penned tracks originally from Jellycream.)

Bramhall released Welcome with his new band Smokestack in 2001. The album's lead single "Green Light Girl" was somewhat of a hit in the blues world.[4] Bramhall and Smokestack released a live DVD entitled Live at the Great Wall of China in 2006.[5] Two audio tracks from the DVD were released on iTunes as Doyle Bramhall II (Live at the Great Wall of China).[6]

Bramhall has collaborated with artists such as T Bone Burnett, Elton John, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Gary Clark Jr., Gregg Allman, Dr. John, Allen Toussaint, Billy Preston, Erykah Badu, Questlove and Meshell Ndegeocello.

Bramhall II in 2009

Bramhall has produced several records including Sheryl Crow's 100 Miles from Memphis.[7] He also joined her on a tour in 2011.[8]

He was featured in the 2006 music industry documentary Before the Music Dies.

Bramhall co-produced Eric Clapton's 2013 release Old Sock and played guitars on his 2014 release The Breeze: An Appreciation of JJ Cale. He joined Clapton on his 50th anniversary tour as an opening act and backing musician.[9] He appeared at Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival and was recorded for the subsequent live album and DVD.[10] Bramhall played lead guitars on Elton John's 2013 album The Diving Board.[11]

He played with the Tedeschi Trucks Band and Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings on the "Wheels of Soul" tour across the United States in 2015.[12] He performed both as an opening act and as a rhythm guitarist in the Tedeschi Trucks Band, performing songs ranging from his days with the Arc Angels to unreleased songs.[13]

He performed a tribute concert to honor Joe Cocker along with the Tedeschi Trucks Band and alumni from the 1970 Joe Cocker Mad Dogs and Englishmen Tour including Leon Russell, Rita Coolidge, Bobby Torres, Claudia Lennear, Chuck Blackwell, Pamela Polland, Daniel Moore, Matthew Moore, Chris Stainton, and photographer Linda Wolf in 2015.[12] [14] He also performed at the Mahindra Blues Festival in India alongside Buddy Guy and Quinn Sullivan in 2015.[15][16]

Bramhall released his fourth studio album, titled Rich Man on September 30, 2016. This album consists of 12 originals and a cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Hear My Train A Comin'".[17]

Bramhall signed with the Mascot Label Group in 2018 with expectations for a new album in the fall.[18] Entitled Shades, the album was planned to be released on October 5, 2018, following the lead single "Everything You Need", a duet with Eric Clapton. In addition to Clapton the album was to feature collaborations with Norah Jones, Greyhounds, and Tedeschi Trucks Band.[19]

In 2022, the Arc Angels reformed for a small tour of the southern United States.

In 2023, Bramhall took part in a tribute concert to Jeff Beck over two nights (May 22 and 23) at the Royal Albert Hall alongside Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, Gary Clark Jnr, Joss Stone and many others.[20]

Style

Bramhall is one of the few guitarists who plays with his instrument strung upside-down.[21][22] He plays left-handed but the instrument is strung upside-down with the high E on the top. This unusual arrangement of the strings gives his playing a unique sound because he bends the strings by pulling them downwards rather than upwards, the customary approach. Others who have bent strings in this direction include Elizabeth Cotten, Albert King, Eric Gales, Otis Rush, Barbara Lynn, Coco Montoya, Edgard Scandurra, Dick Dale, and the late blues guitarist Jeff Healey (who played with his instrument flat on his lap for stability and increased string flexibility).[23]

Discography

Studio Albums
  • 1994 – Bird Nest On The Ground
  • 1996 – Doyle Bramhall II
  • 1999 – Jellycream
  • 2001 – Welcome
  • 2003 – Fitchburg Street
  • 2007 – Is It News
  • 2016 – Rich Man
  • 2018 – Shades
  • 2023 – Doyle Bramhall II/DJ Harrison/Daru Jones - When The Music's Over (JMI Recordings)[24]

Personal life

During the mid-2010s, Bramhall was reportedly in a relationship with American actress and fellow native Texan Renée Zellweger.[25][26][27]

References
  1. Holly George-Warren; Patricia Romanowski; Patricia Romanowski Bashe; Jon Pareles, eds. (2001). The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll. Fireside. ISBN 9780743201209. Doyle Bramhall II.
  2. Holly George-Warren; Patricia Romanowski; Patricia Romanowski Bashe; Jon Pareles, eds. (2001). The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll. Fireside. p. 872. ISBN 9780743201209.
  3. "Bramhall II, Doyle". Whereseric.com. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  4. "Doyle Bramhall II & Smokestack – Green Light Girl". Discogs. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  5. "Doyle Bramhall II Live at the Great Wall of China (2006)". IMDb.com. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  6. "iTunes – Music – Doyle Bramhall II (Live At the Great Wall of China) – Single by Doyle Bramhall II". Itunes.apple.com. November 27, 2007. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  7. "100 Miles from Memphis – Sheryl Crow | Credits". AllMusic. July 20, 2010. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  8. "100 Miles from Memphis Touring Band". Sherylcrownews.com. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  9. "Eric Clapton Kicks Off 50th Anniversary Tour With Killer Setlist". Coolalbumreview.com. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  10. "Crossroads Guitar Festival 2013: Music". Amazon.com. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  11. "Elton John Finishes New Album, Eyes September Release Date". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  12. "Wheels of Soul 2015 Tour". Tedeschi Trucks Band. February 23, 2015. Archived from the original on May 2, 2015. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  13. "Doyle Bramhall II Album Statistics: Wheels Of Soul Summer Tour". www.setlist.fm. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  14. Browne, David (July 14, 2015). "Inside Tedeschi Trucks Band's All-Star Joe Cocker Tribute Concert". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  15. "Quinn Sullivan To Perform At Mahindra Blues Fest 2015 -". December 17, 2014. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  16. "Mahindra Blues Festival 2015: When the Blues came to town". Hindustan Times. February 26, 2015. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  17. "Release "Rich Man" by Doyle Bramhall II – MusicBrainz". musicbrainz.org. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
    - "Doyle Bramhall II: Rich Man". PopMatters. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  18. "Mascot Label Group Celebrates Breakthrough Year". Mascot Label Group. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  19. Grow, Kory (August 9, 2018). "Hear Eric Clapton's Soloing on Doyle Bramhall II's New 'Everything You Need'". Penske Business Media. Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  20. "TRIBUTE CONCERTS FOR JEFF BECK". www.jeffbeck.com. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  21. "Doyle Bramhall II Interview : Songwriter/Player/Producer". Guitar.com. Archived from the original on December 11, 2014. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  22. "Doyle Bramhall II – Artist Profile". eventseeker.com. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  23. "Jeff Healey's Guitar Gear Rig and Equipment". Uberproaudio.com. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  24. "Doyle Bramhall II/DJ Harrison/Daru Jones - When The Music's Over (12" vinyl single 45 RPM)". JMI Recordings. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  25. ABC News (April 22, 2015). "Renée Zellweger Opens Up About Boyfriend". ABC News.
  26. "Renee Zellweger: My Boyfriend Is 'a Very Special Person'". June 2, 2017.
  27. Jonathan Van Meter. "Renée Zellweger's Lost Decade". Vulture.
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