Bluesmen and women

  • Angela Strehle
    Angela is one of the Austin's blues scene premier performer. Great wailing voice and a joy to look at.
  • Eric Clapton
    Eric's guitar skills led to "Clapton is God" assertions by fans. He was influenced by Robert Johnson and other American blues artists that Americans' had forgotten.
  • Howlin' Wolf
    With John Lee Hooker they are my favorite male blues singers of all time. I got to see Howlin' Wolf on DVD only.
  • Janis Joplin
    Janis burned the candle at both ends and thrilled us with her performances. Sadly the candle burned out, but not before she revived American interest in blues music.
  • Lou Ann Barton
    Lou Ann was an early member of Stevie Ray Vaughn's band Double Trouble. A great blues voice and your eyes will be pleased as well.
  • Marcia Ball
    One of the Austin blues scene's premiere performers. Long, tall, Marcia Ball is great to look at, great to hear on the piano, and great to hear her vocals.
  • Muddy Waters
    One of the greatest blues performers of all time.
  • Robert Johnson
    Legend has it that he sold his soul to the Devil in order to create great blues music.
  • Ruth Brown
    This lady had an incredible voice for the blues, and I totally enjoy all the 'double entande' phrases. She will be missed.
  • Stevie Ray Vaughn
    The trail blazing guitar skill he brought to not just blues was just phenomenal. So wrong that when he had his demons under control, he was taken.

Route 66 reads and info

Songs of Route66

Contact

  • Email Address:
  • Website: http://www.crossroadsigns.com
  • Location: United States
  • PGP Key

One-Line Bio

A 'guerilla marketer' before I ever heard the term as I knew that I was not psychologically disposed to sit in a store waiting for customers.

Biography

Crossroads Sign Company has been operating for 20 years. My sales and marketing were through events-car shows and street festivals primarily.

I grew up in the 50's before the interstate system. A major road was a '4 lane'. It was the time of billboards and Burma Shave signs. The Burma Shave signs were a strong force in my learning to read. We would go past a sign set and I'd ask "What did they say?". The adult may not have been paying attention and I would be so frustrated.

In 1987 I was driving from Atlanta to Miami Beach to sell at a car show. On the Florida Turnpike at about 2 in the morning I pondered "If I were to run out of gas or break down, I would be here for hours." I reflected back to my childhood travels on Route 66 in days 30-35 years prior.

In that day if you broke down, the next vehicle would stop to offer help. They would take you to help, and even wait for you and bring you back to your vehicle if necessary. That was when travel was an adventure and an education. A better time.

I did the show and when I got home I followed up on those thoughts. It occurred to me that there must be a lot of people that would subscribe to the same view. In a Twilight Zone moment....I was sitting at my desk with literature that I had obtained from the National Library and the phone rang. Warner, told me "We were cleaning out an area in the factory where things were just sort of dumped, and found the die that we used to blank out shield shaped highway markers. Would you be interested?". We-ooooo-ooooo.