Q&A with Hamilton Loomis

Exclusive Interview by Karen Beishuizen
Photos courtesy of Hamilton Loomis

Hamilton Loomis is a electric blues guitarist and a protégé of Joe “Guitar”Hughes and Bo Diddley. His debut album “Hamilton” received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album in 1994. Check out his website to catch him Live somewhere! You won’t regret it.

KB: Did you always want to be a singer and musician growing up?

Definitely. I knew I wanted to be a musician first, but I didn’t really start singing until I was in my early teens. But both my parents were musicians and singers, so I was basically doomed to be a musician and singer LOL.

KB: Who influenced you to choose the blues genre?

To be honest, I didn’t choose the blues genre. I was fortunate enough to jam with some notable traditional blues men when I was in my early teens, and they basically took me under their wing and gave me lots of advice, spotlight, and encouragement. They invited me to play with them, so I was honestly kind of thrust into the genre. Luckily, my parents had a fantastic record collection of Blues and Soul music, so I was very familiar with the blues style as a kid. Years later when I started to write my own music, it definitely has a bluesy element to it. Even though my music is not traditional blues at all, it definitely pays tribute to the style, and I am fortunate enough to be accepted in the genre and I am able to play Blues festivals and venues all over the world!

KB: What makes a great blues song?

Feeling and honesty. For me, it’s as simple as that. Like I said earlier, the music that I write is not traditional blues, and I knew early on that I would not be able to play traditional blues because I didn’t live the lifestyle that the traditional blues men did. To be honest as an artist, you have to write from real experience, so the music that I write definitely reflects that.

KB: Your mentors were Bo Diddley and Joe “Guitar” Hughes. What did you learn from them?

Joe Hughes was an incredible blues man from Houston Texas. He grew up playing alongside Johnny Copeland and Albert Collins. He was very accessible. He had a jam every Tuesday night in Houston, and my parents would take me there whenever they could when I was about 15 or 16 years old. He was very hands-on, and taught me not just about the guitar, but being able to play effectively with other musicians, like how to listen and how to leave space. He was also insistent that I plug straight into my amp with no pedals, which was a great lesson, not just how to get different tones with just your hands and your instrument, but how not to rely on pedals and technology to play well and have great tone.

Bo Diddley was also an amazing mentor, and he was very generous in that he gave me a lot of spotlight and encouragement. His main influence on me was stylistically. He is the one who encouraged me to be original, and not just follow someone else’s path. He told me, “you got to innovate, don’t imitate.” Hearing that as a 16-year-old kid, that really began my journey to find myself as an artist.

KB: Is there another genre you would like to dabble in but have not tried yet?

My original music does cross genres, and has elements of rock, funk, soul, and even pop. But like I said earlier, I didn’t really choose Blues, it chose me. And I’m grateful to be accepted in the genre.

KB: Any artists you would love to collaborate with and why?

Even though he has passed, Prince is probably one of my all-time favorite artists. I’ve learned so much from him, and I know that even though it’s impossible, collaborating with a musician of that caliber elevates everything about you as a musician and songwriter. Not to mention that he was just a badass guitar player too.

KB: You can make an album with 7 of your most favorite songs (not your own): which songs do you pick and why?

Wow that’s a tough question! I have so many favorites!

“Kissing My Love” – Bill Withers (based on a 12-bar Blues, it’s super funky, and it’s in E-flat which is a fun key to play in)
“Josie” – Steely Dan (beautiful chord changes, nice and funky too)
“Whammer Jammer” – J Geils (I love playing harmonica but I need to work at it a bit before attempting this one!)
“Motor Head Baby” – Johnny Guitar Watson (blues, but nice different chord changes)
“Hip-Hug-Her” – Booker T & MGs (I love Stax….this one is also based on a 12-bar Blues, but really funky…..and that B3 ORGAN!)
“Thinking of You” – Tony Toni Toné (such a soulful tune, and the guitars are SO beautiful…I remember when this came out in the 90s and the guitar parts hit me hard)
“Peach” – Prince (He was such a an underrated guitarist. This song is fun to just rip bluesy solos!)

KB: What are you currently up to? Touring, new material?

I’ve actually had trouble writing ever since the pandemic, which was an extremely stressful time for us since our son Bo has a rare disease (you can read about him on my website). However, I’ve finally started writing again so hopefully soon I’ll have enough material to put out another project. But yes, we are also touring: my tours now are much shorter so I can maximize my time at home to care for my son. Those old days of doing 3 or 4 week long tours are long gone. Besides, I don’t have the stamina that I had when I was in my 20s!

Check out Hamilton’s website: HERE

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