Duke Robillard

Videos by Duke Robillard

Michael John "Duke" Robillard (born October 4, 1948, Woonsocket, Rhode Island) is an American blues musician.

After playing in various bands and working for the Guild Guitar Company, he co-founded the band Roomful of Blues with pianist Al Copley in 1967. He has also been a member of The Fabulous Thunderbirds which included Kim Wilson, replacing Jimmie Vaughan on guitar. Also experienced in jazz, swing, and rock and roll, aside from his preferred blues music, Robillard has been generally regarded as a guitar player keeping the blues style of T-Bone Walker.

He has recorded with artists such as Jimmy Witherspoon, Snooky Prior, Jay McShann, Hal Singer, Pinetop Perkins, Joe Louis Walker, Todd Sharpville, and Bob Dylan. In the summer of 2006, Robillard accompanied Tom Waits on a tour of the Southern United States.

Robillard has contributed to a large number of musicians' recordings in his career. Some of the most famous have been mentioned, but others include artists as diverse as Wham! and Jimmy Witherspoon.

He has been nominated for and has received numerous awards over his career. Awards include:

    * 2007 Rhode Island Pell Award for Excellence in the Arts
    * 2001 "Best Blues Guitarist" W.C. Handy Award
    * 2000 "Best Blues Guitarist" W.C. Handy Award

Robillard has also been nominated for:

    * 2007 "Best Contemporary Blues Album" for "Guitar Groove-A-Rama" Grammy Award
    * 2010 "Best Traditional Blues Album" for "Stomp! The Blues Tonight" Grammy Award

Wikipedia contributors. "Duke Robillard." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 23 Nov. 2010. Web. 5 Dec. 2010.