Duke Robillard

Michael John "Duke" Robillard is an American guitarist and singer. He founded the band Roomful of Blues and was a member of the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Although he is known as a rock and blues guitarist, he also plays jazz and swing.

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Career

He was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. He played in bands as Mike "Honey Bear" Robillard and worked for the Guild Guitar Company based in Oxnard, California. In 1967, he and Al Copley founded the band Roomful of Blues.
Robillard spent over ten years with Roomful of Blues before departing in 1979, becoming the guitarist for singer Robert Gordon and then a member of the Legendary Blues Band. Robillard started the Duke Robillard Band in 1981, eventually adopting the name Duke Robillard and the Pleasure Kings, with whom he toured throughout the 1980s and recorded for Rounder Records. He became a member of the Fabulous Thunderbirds in 1990 to replace Jimmie Vaughan.
Although he was a member of bands, Robillard simultaneously pursued a solo career in which he toured and recorded solo albums in other genres, such as jazz and blues. He formed a duo with jazz guitarist Herb Ellis and New Guitar Summit, a swing trio with Gerry Beaudoin and Jay Geils. He explored jump blues in A Swingin Session with Duke Robillard, returned to his rhythm and blues roots in Stomp! The Blues Tonight, and covered blues songs from the 1940s and 1950s in Low Down and Tore Up. Briefly in 2013, he was the guitarist for Bob Dylan's tour.
Along with lap steel guitarist Joel Paterson, Robillard played on the 2015 album Clinch! by Danish blues group, The Blues Overdrive.

Awards and honors

Best Blues Guitarist, W. C. Handy Award, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004. Keeping the Blues Alive Award for Producer, 2004. Traditional Blues Male Artist, 2010. Acousitic Blues Album of the Year, 2016, "The Acoustic Blues & Roots of Duke Robillard"; All from the International Blues Foundation; The 2001, 2002, 2003 Maple Blues Awards, International Artist of the Year from the Toronto Blues Society, the highest blues honor in Canada
Grammy nomination, Best Contemporary Blues Album, Guitar Groove-a-Rama, 2007
Grammy nomination, Best Traditional Blues Album, Stomp! The Blues Tonight, 2010

Discography

As leader/co-leader

Duke Robillard & the Pleasure Kings Too Hot to Handle Swing You Got Me After Hours Swing Session Turn it Around Temptation Duke's Blues Dangerous Place Stretchin' Out Live New Blues for Modern Man La Palette Bleue Conversations in Swing Guitar with Herb Ellis Explorer Living with the Blues More Conversations In Swing Guitar with Herb Ellis Exalted Lover Blue Mood: The Songs of T-Bone Walker The Duke Meets the Earl with Ronnie Earl Guitar Groove-a-Rama Duke Robillard's World of Blues A Swingin' Session with Duke Robillard Stomp! The Blues Tonight Tales from the Tiki Lounge with Sunny Crownover Passport to the Blues Low Down and Tore Up Wobble Walkin' Independently Blue Calling All Blues The Acoustic Blues & Roots of Duke Robillard Blues Full Circle Duke Robillard and His Dames of Rhythm Ear Worms Blues Bash! Swingin' Again with Scott Hamilton They Called It Rhythm & Blues Roll With Me BLAST OFF!
With Roomful of BluesRoomful of Blues Let's Have a Party
With The Fabulous ThunderbirdsWalk That Walk, Talk That Talk Wrap It Up compilation
With New Guitar Summit New Guitar Summit Live at the Stoneham Theater

''Shivers''

As sideman or guest

With Al BasileBlue Ink Down on Providence Plantation Groovin' in the Mood Room The Tinge Soul Blue The Goods At Home Next Door
With Joe BeardFor Real Dealin'
With Gerry BeaudoinMinor Swing Swing Cafe
With Eddy ClearwaterCool Blues Reservation Blues
With Al CopleyRoyal Blue Good Understanding
With Ronnie EarlSoul Searchin'
With Sax GordonHave Horn, Will Travel You Knock Me Out
With Scott HamiltonBlues, Bop & Ballads Across the Tracks Remembering Billie
With Jay McShannHootie's Jumpin' Blues Still Jumpin' the Blues Goin' to Kansas City
With Jerry PortnoyPoison Kisses Home Run Hitter Down in the Mood Room
With Jimmy WitherspoonSpoon's Blues Jimmy Witherspoon with the Duke Robillard Band
With othersToo Cool to Move, Snooky Pryor Pinetop's Boogie Woogie, Pinetop Perkins Toolin' Around Arlen Roth Married to the Blues, Mark Hummel Found True Love, John Hammond Time Out of Mind, Bob Dylan Wiggle Outta This, Curtis Salgado The Blues Keep Me Holding On, Savoy Brown A Good Day for the Blues, Ruth Brown West Coast House Party, Kid Ramos Three Feet Off the Ground, Bruce Katz Memphis, Tennessee, Rosco Gordon Blow Mr. Low, Doug James Love the Game, Debbie Davies Boogie 'n' Shuffle, Billy Boy Arnold Guitar, Jimmy Thackery Blues in My Heart, Chris Flory Introducing... Sunny and Her Joy Boys Between a Rock and the Blues, Joe Louis Walker Porchlight, Todd Sharpville