Ronnie Earl

Black Top Records at Tower Piccadilly

I spent three years at Tower Records’ flagship UK store in Piccadilly between 1992 and 1995. I started out in the blues section and after a few months became manager of the vast jazz department which encompassed jazz, blues, folk, country, bluegrass, world, gospel and reggae and took up half of the top floor. We were the best record store in London (HMV Oxford Circus and Virgin Megastore weren’t close), and regularly hosted live events with everyone from Bonjovi to Keb’ Mo’. Open six days a week till midnight, it was an exciting place to be.

Me with Roebuck ‘Pops’ Staples after a live performance during the Point Blank Blues Festival at Tower Records Piccadilly 1994

It was a fantastic learning opportunity to be surrounded by music all day, at a time when companies were hastily reissuing their catalogues on CD and releasing albums that hadn’t been available for many years. On top of that was all the new music with labels sprouting up everywhere to make the most of the CD boom.

One of my favourites of the new independents was Black Top Records, a blues label set up in New Orleans by lawyers Nauman and Hammond Scott. The brothers were real music fans with money to spend from the oil business and signed both new artists as well as giving older blues and r&b legends another opportunity to revitalise their careers. The roster included Solomon Burke, Guitar Shorty, Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets, James ‘Thunderbird’ Davis, The Neville Brothers, Earl King, Robert Ward, Snooks Eaglin, Omar and the Howlers, Grady Gaines, Bobby Radcliff as well as the live ‘Black Top Blues-A-Rama’ compilations. But the album that really knocked me out was by Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters.

I wasn’t previously aware of Ronnie Earl until I heard the album Surrounded By Love which had been released in 1991. Earl is a master of soulful blues guitar and was probably close to his prime around this period, two years clean and sober (and still is today). He plays a Fender Stratocaster through a blackface Fender Super Reverb, no pedals or effects - direct from his fingers to your heart. Listen to That’s When My Soul Comes Down, with a great Sugar Ray Norcia vocal, a masterly band performance from the Broadcasters and one of my favourite guitar solos by anyone.

Ronnie Earl was born Ronald Horvath in 1953 in New York, the son of Holocaust survivors. He’s recorded over 25 albums and toured extensively, but in recent years has suffered with diabetic issues and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and although semi retired now he’s still playing and recording. He may have lost some of his edge, but not one drop of his deep soul or humanity. I only saw Ronnie play live once, at the South Bank Centre in July 1997 supporting Robben Ford, and he was absolutely great. He really is one of the best blues guitar players I’ve ever heard and is the one that moves me the most.

March 10th is Ronnie Earl’s 68th birthday, so Very Happy Birthday Ronnie!