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In an industry where literally tens of thousands of artists release records every
every year, it is rare to find an individual that possesses all the qualities that come to mind when one thinks of a "superstar". An artist who has a unique look, who writes meaningful, intelligent and vibrant music, and who possesses that indescribable, intangible aura and energy, that FIRE that is sometimes referred to simply as "IT".
Lance Lopez is just such an artist. Combining a youthful and unique appearance with musical skills that are unparalleled in the genre, Lance Lopez is building a strong name for himself as one of the premiere blues-rock guitarists of modern music.
Lance played his first guitar at the age of eight, and immediately began turning heads with his natural and seemingly effortless ability. Although Lance lived
(and played) throughout the Southeast, including Shreveport, Louisiana (where he was born), New Orleans, and Florida, it was while he was living in Dallas, at age twelve, that Lance would discover his true calling as a musician.
That year, Lance saw Stevie Ray, B.B. King and several other blues greats at a rhythm and blues festival in Dallas, and was blown away by the performances of the artists he saw onstage. Lance began studying the blues and practicing relentlessly, emulating the masters such as Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, Albert King and Howlin' Wolf, and when introduced to the 70's power-blues artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Blue Cheer and Cream, began to incorporate the rock elements missing from the traditional bluesmen's sound into his own style.
The results have garnered Lance much deserved recognition. At 17, after playing the so-called "chitlin" circuit with renowned soul singer Johnnie Taylor, Lance was approached by the Dallas blues great Lucky Peterson, who took him into his band as the rhythm guitarist. With The Lucky Peterson Organization, Lance toured throughout North America and Europe for three years, developing his energetic and original stage presence, while honing his musical skills and being elevating to the position of band leader before later embarking on his solo career.
In 1998, after completing a project with legendary Hendrix and Santana drummer Buddy Miles and former Steely Dan bassist Chuck Rainey, Lance wrote and recorded his debut CD "1st Things First". Released in 1999 on his own label "LaRoux Records", these songs would showcase Lance's obvious technical ability as well as his penchant for writing intelligent, original music.
August of 1999 saw Lance enter and win the Southeast Regional Jimi Hendrix Electric Guitar competition at Tipitina's in New Orleans. MCA/Universal Records, Fender Guitars and the Jimi Hendrix Family Foundation sponsored the contest. Recently, Lance was awarded the 2001 Blues Band Of The Year award presented by DallasMusic.com.
The Lance Lopez Band has been playing to enthusiastic audiences around the region, as well as in Europe opening for such notables as BB King and Steve Vai. Lance continues to develop an extensive repertoire of songs, including many traditional and contemporary blues and rock favorites, as well as the more funky, hard-edged original material (including 1st Things First), Lance continues to evolve, always striving to blur the lines between musical genres, and to appeal to as diverse a market as possible.
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