Michael John "Duke" Robillard (born October 4, 1948) is an American guitarist and singer. He founded the band Roomful of Blues and was a member of

the Fabulous Thunderbirds The Fabulous Thunderbirds are an American blues band formed in 1974. Career After performing for several years in the Austin, Texas blues scene, the band won a recording contract with Takoma/Chrysalis Records and later signed with Epic Recor ...

. Although Robillard is known as a rock and blues guitarist, he also plays jazz and swing.

Career

He played in bands as Mike "Honey Bear" Robillard and worked for the

Guild Guitar Company The Guild Guitar Company is a United States-based guitar manufacturer founded in 1952 by Alfred Dronge, a guitarist and music-store owner, and George Mann, a former executive with the Epiphone Guitar Company. The brand name currently exists as a ...

. In 1967, he and Al Copley founded the band Roomful of Blues. He spent over ten years with Roomful of Blues before departing in 1979, becoming the guitarist for singer

Robert Gordon Robert Gordon may refer to: Entertainment * Robert Gordon (actor) (1895–1971), silent-film actor * Robert Gordon (director) (1913–1990), American director * Robert Gordon (singer) (1947–2022), American rockabilly singer * Robert Gordon ( ...

and then a member of the Legendary Blues Band. He 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 Rounder Records is an independent record label founded in 1970 in Somerville, Massachusetts by Marian Leighton Levy, Ken Irwin, and Bill Nowlin. Focused on American roots music, Rounder's catalogue of more than 3000 titles includes records by Al ...

. He became a member of the

Fabulous Thunderbirds The Fabulous Thunderbirds are an American blues band formed in 1974. Career After performing for several years in the Austin, Texas blues scene, the band won a recording contract with Takoma/Chrysalis Records and later signed with Epic Recor ...

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 Mitchell Herbert Ellis (August 4, 1921 – March 28, 2010), known professionally as Herb Ellis, was an American jazz guitarist. During the 1950s, he was in a trio with pianist Oscar Peterson. Biography Born in Farmersville, Texas, and raise ...

and the swing trio New Guitar Summit 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 '50s in ''Low Down and Tore Up''. Briefly in 2013, he was the guitarist for

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

's tour.

Awards and honors

* Best Blues Guitarist, W. C. Handy Award, 2000, 2001 * 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'' (1984) ( Rounder) * ''Too Hot to Handle'' (1985) (Rounder) * ''Swing'' (1987) (Rounder) * ''You Got Me'' (1988) (Rounder) * ''Rockin' Blues'' (1988) (Rounder) compilation * ''After Hours Swing Session'' (1990) (Rounder) * ''Turn it Around'' (1991) (Rounder) * ''Temptation'' (1994) (

Point Blank Point-blank range is any distance over which a certain firearm can hit a target without the need to compensate for bullet drop, and can be adjusted over a wide range of distances by sighting in the firearm. If the bullet leaves the barrel par ...

) * ''Duke's Blues'' (1996) (Point Blank) * ''Dangerous Place'' (1997) (Point Blank) * ''Stretchin' Out Live'' (1998) ( Stony Plain) * ''New Blues for Modern Man'' (1999) ( Shanachie) * ''La Palette Bleue'' (1999) (Dixie Frog) * ''Conversations in Swing Guitar'' with

(1999) (Stony Plain) * ''Explorer'' (2000) (Shanachie) * ''Living with the Blues'' (2002) (Stony Plain) * ''More Conversations In Swing Guitar'' with Herb Ellis (2003) (Stony Plain) * ''Exalted Lover'' (2003) (Stony Plain) * '' Blue Mood: The Songs of

T-Bone Walker Aaron Thibeaux "T-Bone" Walker (May 28, 1910 – March 16, 1975) was an American blues musician, composer, songwriter and bandleader, who was a pioneer and innovator of the jump blues, West Coast blues, and electric blues sounds. In 2018 ''Ro ...

'' (2004) (Stony Plain) * ''The Duke Meets the Earl'' with Ronnie Earl (2005) (Stony Plain) * ''Guitar Groove-a-Rama'' (2006) (Stony Plain) * ''Duke Robillard's World of Blues'' (2007) (Stony Plain) * ''A Swingin' Session with Duke Robillard'' (2008) (Stony Plain) * ''Stomp! The Blues Tonight'' (2009) (Stony Plain) * ''Tales from the Tiki Lounge'' with Sunny Crownover (2010) (Blue Duchess) * ''Passport to the Blues'' (2010) (Stony Plain) * ''Low Down and Tore Up'' (2011) (Stony Plain) * ''Wobble Walkin' '' (2012) (Blue Duchess) * ''Independently Blue'' (2013) (Stony Plain) * ''Calling All Blues'' (2014) (Stony Plain) * ''The Acoustic Blues & Roots of Duke Robillard'' (2015) (Stony Plain) * ''Blues Full Circle'' (2016) (Stony Plain) * ''Duke Robillard and His Dames of Rhythm'' (2017) (M.C. Records) * ''Ear Worms '' (2019) (Stony Plain) * ''Blues Bash!'' (2020) (Stony Plain) * ''Swingin' Again'' with Scott Hamilton (2021) (Blue Duchess) * ''They Called It Rhythm & Blues'' (2022) (Stony Plain) With Roomful of Blues * ''Roomful of Blues'' (1978) * ''Let's Have a Party'' (1979) * ''Swingin' and Jumpin' '' (1999) compilation With

The Fabulous Thunderbirds The Fabulous Thunderbirds are an American blues band formed in 1974. Career After performing for several years in the Austin, Texas blues scene, the band won a recording contract with Takoma/Chrysalis Records and later signed with Epic Recor ...

* ''Walk That Walk, Talk That Talk'' (1991) * ''Wrap It Up'' (1993) compilation With New Guitar Summit (Duke Robillard/ Jay Geils/ Gerry Beaudoin) * ''New Guitar Summit'' (Stony Plain, 2004) * ''Live at the Stoneham Theater'' (Stony Plain, 2004) * ''Shivers'' (Stony Plain, 2009)

As sideman or guest

With Al Basile * ''Blue Ink'' (2004) * ''Down on Providence Plantation'' (2005) * ''Groovin' in the Mood Room'' (2006) * ''The Tinge'' (2008) * ''Soul Blue'' (2009) * ''The Goods'' (2010) * ''At Home Next Door'' (2012) With Joe Beard * ''For Real'' (AudioQuest, 1998) * ''Dealin' '' (AudioQuest, 2000) With Gerry Beaudoin * ''Minor Swing'' (1994) * ''Swing Cafe'' (2005) With Eddy Clearwater * ''Cool Blues'' (1998) * ''Reservation Blues'' (2000) With Al Copley * ''Royal Blue'' (1991) * ''Good Understanding'' (1994) With Ronnie Earl * ''Soul Searchin' '' (1988) * ''Test of Time'' (1992) compilation With Sax Gordon * ''Have Horn, Will Travel'' (1998) * ''You Knock Me Out'' (2000) With Scott Hamilton * ''Blues, Bop & Ballads'' (1999) * ''Across the Tracks'' (2008) * ''Remembering Billie'' (2013) With

Jay McShann James Columbus "Jay" McShann (January 12, 1916 – December 7, 2006) was an American jazz pianist, vocalist, composer, and bandleader. He led bands in Kansas City, Missouri, that included Charlie Parker, Bernard Anderson, Walter Brown, and ...

* ''Hootie's Jumpin' Blues'' (1997) * ''Still Jumpin' the Blues'' (1999) * ''Goin' to Kansas City'' (2003) With

Jerry Portnoy Jerry Portnoy (born November 25, 1943 in Evanston, Illinois, United States) is an American harmonica blues musician, who has toured with Muddy Waters and Eric Clapton. Biography Portnoy grew up in Chicago. He first heard the blues played out ...

* ''Poison Kisses'' (1991) * ''Home Run Hitter'' (1995) * ''Down in the Mood Room'' (2002) With

Jimmy Witherspoon James Witherspoon (August 8, 1920 – September 18, 1997) was an American jump blues singer. Early life, family and education Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas. His father was a railroad worker who sang in local choirs, and his mot ...

* ''Spoon's Blues'' (1995) * ''Jimmy Witherspoon with the Duke Robillard Band'' (2000) With others * ''Too Cool to Move'',

Snooky Pryor James Edward "Snooky" Pryor (September 15, 1919 or 1921 – October 18, 2006) was an American Chicago blues harmonica player. He claimed to have pioneered the now-common method of playing amplified harmonica by cupping a small microphone in his ...

(1992) ( Antone's) * ''Pinetop's Boogie Woogie'',

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(1992) (Antone's) * ''Toolin' Around'' Arlen Roth (1993) (Blue Plate) * ''Married to the Blues'',

Mark Hummel Mark Hummel (born December 15, 1955) is an American blues harmonica player, vocalist, songwriter, and long-time bandleader of the Blues Survivors. Since 1991, Hummel has produced the Blues Harmonica Blowout tour, of which he is also a featured p ...

(1995) (

Flying Fish The Exocoetidae are a family of marine fish in the order Beloniformes class Actinopterygii, known colloquially as flying fish or flying cod. About 64 species are grouped in seven to nine genera. While they cannot fly in the same way a bird ...

) * ''Found True Love'', John Hammond (1996) (

) * '' Time Out of Mind'',

(1997) (

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region in ...

) * ''Wiggle Outta This'',

Curtis Salgado Curtis Salgado (born February 4, 1954, in Everett, Washington, United States) is a Portland, Oregon-based blues, blues rock, and blue-eyed soul singer-songwriter. He plays harmonica and fronts his own band as lead vocalist. Career Salgado ...

(1999) * ''The Blues Keep Me Holding On'',

Savoy Brown Savoy Brown (originally Savoy Brown Blues Band) were an English blues rock band formed in Battersea, south west London, in 1965. Part of the late 1960s blues rock movement, Savoy Brown primarily achieved success in the United States, where they ...

(1999) * ''Good Day for the Blues'',

Ruth Brown Ruth Alston Brown (; January 12, 1928 – November 17, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter and actress, sometimes referred to as the " Queen of R&B". She was noted for bringing a pop music style to R&B music in a series of hit songs for At ...

(1999) * ''West Coast House Party'', Kid Ramos (2000) * ''Three Feet Off the Ground'', Bruce Katz (2000) * ''Memphis, Tennessee'', Rosco Gordon (2000) * ''Blow Mr. Low'',

Doug James Doug James (born July 17, 1962 in Louisville, Kentucky) is a former American football player for the University of Michigan Wolverines (1980–1984) under coach Bo Schembechler. In 1985, he began his career in broadcast media where he has worke ...

(2001) * ''Love the Game'', Debbie Davies (2001) * ''Boogie 'n' Shuffle'',

Billy Boy Arnold William "Billy Boy" Arnold (born September 16, 1935, Chicago, Illinois) AllMusic.html" ;"title="AllMusic">AllMusic biography/ref> is an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter. Arnold is a self-taught harmonica player and has worked ...

(2001) * ''Guitar'', Jimmy Thackery (2003) * ''Blues in My Heart'', Chris Flory (2003) * ''Introducing... Sunny and Her Joy Boys'' (2009) * ''Between a Rock and the Blues'',

Joe Louis Walker Joe Louis Walker, also known as JLW (born December 25, 1949) is an American musician, best known as an electric blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer. His knowledge of blues history is revealed by his use of older material and playi ...

(2009) * ''Porchlight'', Todd Sharpville (2010)

References

External links

Official Duke Robillard website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robillard, Duke 1948 births Living people American blues guitarists American blues singers American male singers Contemporary blues musicians Jazz-blues guitarists American rockabilly guitarists American male guitarists People from Woonsocket, Rhode Island Songwriters from Rhode Island American people of French-Canadian descent Guitarists from Rhode Island The Fabulous Thunderbirds members 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians American male songwriters