Crown Prince of the Chicago Blues"

Best Blues Entertainer nomination Chicago Music Awards 1999,'04,'05

Best New Blues Artist, Best Chicago Debut Blues CD - Fifth Annual Real Blues Awards

Best New Blues Artist nomination 2000 WC Handy Award

The Band:

Ronnie Baker Brooks guitar

Steve Nixon keyboards

C J Tucker drums

Carlton Armstrong bass

Discography:

Lonnie Brooks Live from Chicago-Bayou Lightning… Alligator 1988

Lonnie Brooks Satisfaction Guaranteed Alligator 1991

Ronnie Baker Brooks Golddigger Watchdog 1998

Ronnie Baker Brooks Take Me Witcha' Watchdog 2001

Various Artists 30th Anniversary Collection Alligator 2001

Ronnie Baker Brooks Ronnie Baker Brooks Live! - DVD Watchdog 2002

Wayne Baker Brook Mystery Blue Island Records 2004

History

Born in 1967, the son of Blues Legend, Lonnie Brooks,

Ronnie has played in his father's band for the last 12

years until this past January 1999 when he finally

went on his own. Lonnie taught him well, as did the

other mentors he speaks of - Albert Collins, Jr. Wells,

Stevie Ray Vaughn and Luther Allison. Ronnie

began playing with the guitar at about 3 years

of age. When he was 6, Lonnie realized that this

son of his wasn't just fooling around anymore and

began to teach him. When he was 9, Lonnie told

him that if he learned to play "Messin' With the

Kid" (Junior Wells' famous song) and

"Reconsider Baby" he could get up on the

stage with him. Lonnie was playing in Chicago

at the now gone - famous "Peppers Lounge."

To quote Lonnie from an Art Tipaldi article

in Blues Connection - March 1999: "Nine years old,

and he played 'Messin' With the Kid' perfect.

I let him play like I promised. Had a suit

made like mine. People thought I just had

him up there as a gimmick; they still thought

it was me playing. When he got to his solo,

I took my hands off the guitar and held them

up in the air. Boy, when the people seen that,

they started throwin' him money! He made more

money in one night than I did."

Ronnie has recorded or performed live with; Aerosmith, Luther Allison, Billy Branch, Elvin Bishop, The Black Crowes, Tommy Castro, Albert Collins, Johnny "Clyde" Copeland, Shemekia Copeland, James Cotton, Robert Cray, Fabulous Thunderbirds, Buddy Guy, Warren Haynes, Indigenous, Jellybean Johnson, BB King, Jonny Lang, Little Feat, Little Milton, Taj Mahal, John Mayall, Larry McCray, Keb Mo, Pinetop Perkins, Slash, George Thorogood, Koko Taylor, Derek Trucks, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Louis Walker, Katie Webster and Junior Wells

Bluestown - Andy Whitman June 23, 2007

Although (RBB) certainly pays more than

a passing nod to his father's blues legacy

On his third solo album, Ronnie actually exhibits

an eclectic approach that takes in everything from the

Stax/Volt soul classics of the mid-'60s to Van Halen to

archetypal Chuck Berry guitar licks. It's

an exhilarating combination. That's not to

say that the classic blues elements are lacking.

The incendiary opener, "Born in Chicago," is pure Buddy

Guy-style blistering electric Chicago blues, while

"It's All About You" employs a menacing guitar line

that has been a part of the music's foundation since

Charley Patton and Son House emerged from the

Delta bottoms… a classic soul singer in the

pleading Otis Redding vein on "Be a Good Man"

…a fine blues interpreter, and a monster guitarist

with an ample supply of technique

and passion. That's the kind of tradition that is always

welcome and in short supply, and it's a torch worth carrying proudly.

Rambles - Michael Scott Cain May 19, 2007

Ronnie is the most exciting guitar player I've heard since Stevie Ray Vaughn. The man is brilliant. Jimi Hendrix set fire to his guitar with lighter fluid. Brooks does it with his picking and fretting; nothing artificial needed. Just skill and talent. And, of course, a touch of magic.

Roots Music Report - Roots Blues Airplay Charts, Top 50 CD's May 17, 2007

Artist Title Label Weeks On This Week

Ronnie Baker Brooks THE TORCH Watchdog 29 #16

Tallahassee Democrat - Mary Leslie March 2, 2007

Brooks believes that "The Torch," represents a turning point in his career. It's a modern version of his father's blues, incorporating rock and hip-hop, and it earned him a nomination this year for Contemporary Male Artist of the Year by the Blues Music Awards…

Creative Loafing, Atlanta - Sound Menu, HH February 22, '07

… brings frisky funk, steamy Southern soul and even hip-hop to the table, all propelled by his gutsy, occasionally psychedelic guitar. He's clearly throwing a bunch of styles against the wall, but enough of them stick to show he has the chops and drive to keep the family heritage flowing for another generation.

Blues Café, WRSW 107.3 - Pat Gervais February 9, 2007

This is a great CD… I love the mix of classic blues guitar, funk, even rap… an extremely versatile player who is not locked into just one style but is continuing to keep the blues alive by keeping it fresh and new…

The Washington Post - Mike Joyce February 2, 2007

… Brooks celebrates his connections to the Windy City throughout, but even so, no one could accuse Brooks of being tradition-bound. With its nods to Jimi Hendrix and Prince, "The Torch" reflects Brooks's interest in rock, soul and even hip-hop without obscuring strong family ties…

RBB Feature appears in Neighbors section of the (Dekalb) Daily Chronicle February 1, '07

RBB Feature by Regis Behe appears in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review February 1, '07

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - *Weekend Hotlist - Legendary Rhythm and Blues Revue February 1, '07

BluesWax - Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro February 1, 2007

(Review of the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue at Sunrise Theater, Ft. Pierce, FL) The last of the headliners to take the stage was the "Crown Prince of Chicago Blues," RBB. With all due respect to all of the evening's performers, it appeared that as soon as Brooks started playing things stepped up a notch. Brooks' entire set was a highlight as he put on his scorching act featuring lots of blistering guitar…

Tommy Castro Band Road Diary - Tommy Castro on the LRBR Jan/Feb 2007

...Next, I introduce Ronnie Baker Brooks. I'm not sure I can find the right words to describe what happened next. Ronnie's roots run deep. It's as if the souls of all the great blues men of the past reside partially in Ronnie's body. That, some influence from some major rock guitarists, and his own creativity and strong material makes for a very powerful and soul stirring performance. I was truly in awe every night.

The Cincinnati Citybeat - Sound Advice, Brian Baker January 31, 2007

If the younger Brooks' first three albums and his second BMA nod are any indication, he's well on his way to the same kind of long and respected career that his father has enjoyed for the past three decades… With fans and critics singing his praises, RBB stands poised to become this generation's next Blues superstar…

The Cincinnati Journal-News - Richard O Jones January 26, 2007

Brooks takes roots sounds and transforms them into something that spans the ages…(RBB) draws on the choppy, hip-shaking rhythms of funk, the emotional truth of soul and the forcefulness of rock to bring a distinctive dimension to his ground-breaking sound.

The Cleveland Scene, Nightwatch - Duane Verh January 24, 2007

…lineage has always made for a great calling card, but the son of Chicago guitar legend Lonnie Brooks has generated plenty of his own buzz, thanks to The Torch, one of last year's best-received blues discs

The Torch has been nominated for BluesWax Album of the Year, 2006 - Vote thru Feb. 11 January 4, 2007

2006 Blues Critics' Awards - nomination, Best Traditional Blues or Blues/Rock Album - The Torch

You can now stream RBB's performance at the 2006 Beale Street Music Festival from myradio.com archives

Bluescritic.com - Blues Critic's Top 30 Contemporary Blues Albums 2006 - The Torch January 3, 2007

... son of Blues legend Lonnie Brooks, would have your attention regardless of his lineage. "The Torch" is his third, most diverse and best record to date...boasts 17 tracks, the majority of them keepers. From the sweet, Soulful "Be A Good Man", manic instrumental "Train" to the machine-gun funk of "Mack Momma".