Michael John "Duke" Robillard (born October 4, 1948) is an American guitarist and singer. He founded the band

Roomful of Blues Roomful of Blues is an American blues and swing revival big band based in Rhode Island. With a recording career that spans over 50 years, they have toured worldwide and recorded many albums. Roomful of Blues, according to the ''Chicago Sun-Tim ...

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. In 1967, he and

Al Copley Al Copley (born Almon LeGrande Copley, 1952, Buffalo, New York, United States) is an American blues pianist and singer, plus arranger and co-founder of Roomful of Blues. After 16 years with Roomful, Copley relocated to Europe in 1984, and back ...

founded the band

. 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 (scr ...

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 Records ...

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 raised ...

and the swing trio New Guitar Summit with

Gerry Beaudoin Gerry Beaudoin is an American jazz guitarist who was a member of the New Guitar Summit with Jay Geils and Duke Robillard. Career Beaudoin's father listened to Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Andrés Segovia, and country music. Inspired by Chet At ...

and

Jay Geils John Warren Geils Jr. () (February 20, 1946 – April 11, 2017), known professionally as J. Geils or Jay Geils, was an American guitarist. He was known as the leader of The J. Geils Band. Growing up in New York City, Geils became interested in ...

. 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 Rounder(s) or The Rounder(s) may refer to: Film and television * ''The Rounders'' (1914 film), a comedy short * ''The Rounder'' (1930 film), a comedy short * ''The Rounders'' (1965 film), a western comedy * ''Rounders'' (film), a 1998 poker f ...

) * ''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 paral ...

) * ''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 ''Blue Mood: The Songs of T-Bone Walker'' is a tribute album by Duke Robillard, dedicated to the songs of T-Bone Walker. Critical reception ''JazzTimes'' thought that Robillard "has the appropriately funky, slicing tone on 'T-Bone Shuffle', an ...

: 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 ''Roll ...

'' (2004) (Stony Plain) * ''The Duke Meets the Earl'' with

Ronnie Earl :''This article refers to the musician. For the district attorney of Travis County, Texas, see Ronnie Earle.'' Ronnie Earl (born Ronald Horvath, March 10, 1953, Queens, New York, United States) is an American blues guitarist and music instructor ...

(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'' (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/

) * ''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

* ''Minor Swing'' (1994) * ''Swing Cafe'' (2005) With

Eddy Clearwater Edward Harrington (January 10, 1935 – June 1, 2018), better known by his stage name Eddy Clearwater, was an American blues musician who specialized in Chicago blues. ''Blues Revue'' said he plays "joyous rave-ups…he testifies with stunning s ...

* ''Cool Blues'' (1998) * ''Reservation Blues'' (2000) With

* ''Royal Blue'' (1991) * ''Good Understanding'' (1994) With

* ''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 (trumpeter), Bernard A ...

* ''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'',

Pinetop Perkins Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins (July 7, 1913 – March 21, 2011) was an American blues pianist. He played with some of the most influential blues and rock-and-roll performers of his time and received numerous honors, including a Grammy Life ...

(1992) (Antone's) * ''Toolin' Around''

Arlen Roth Arlen Roth (born October 30, 1952) is an American guitarist, teacher, and author. From 1982 to 1992, he was a columnist for ''Guitar Player'' magazine. Those ten years of columns became a book, ''Hot Guitar''. His father Al Ross (Abraham 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 do ...

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

) * '' Time Out of Mind'',

(1997) ( Columbia) * ''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 b ...

(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 Atl ...

(1999) * ''West Coast House Party'',

Kid Ramos Kid Ramos (born January 13, 1959) is an American electric blues and blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. Ramos has released four solo albums since 1995 on Black Top and Evidence Records. He has worked with James Harman, Roomful of B ...

(2000) * ''Three Feet Off the Ground'',

Bruce Katz Bruce Katz (born August 19, 1952) is an American musician, playing piano, organ and bass guitar. From 1996 to 2010, he was on the faculty at the Berklee College of Music in Boston as an associate professor. He founded his own musical group, the ...

(2000) * ''Memphis, Tennessee'',

Rosco Gordon Rosco N. Gordon III (April 10, 1928 – July 11, 2002), sometimes billed as Roscoe Gordon, was an American blues singer, pianist, and songwriter. He is best known for his hit songs "Booted," (1952), "No More Doggin'" (1952), and " Just a Littl ...

(2000) * ''Blow Mr. Low'', Doug James (2001) * ''Love the Game'',

Debbie Davies Debbie Davies (born August 22, 1952) is an American blues guitarist. Davies was born in Los Angeles, California, United States. She has been the featured guitarist in several female based bands including Maggie Mayall and the Cadillacs (led by ...

(2001) * ''Boogie 'n' Shuffle'',

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

(2001) * ''Guitar'',

Jimmy Thackery Jimmy Thackery (born May 19, 1953, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States) is an American blues singer, guitarist and songwriter. Career Thackery spent fourteen years as part of The Nighthawks, the Washington, D.C. based blues and roots rock e ...

(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 Todd Sharpville (born 9 April 1970 as The Hon. Roland Augusto Jestyn Estanislao Philipps) is an English musician and the younger son of the 3rd Viscount St Davids. A British musician, singer-songwriter and lead guitarist, mainly in the blues ...

(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