Blues-rock superstar Joe Bonamassa is one of the most celebrated performing musicians of today. As a two-time GRAMMY-nominated artist who recently achieved his 21st #1 album on the Billboard Blues Chart with Redemption and only in his early 40s he’s already become a living legend with an astounding multi-genre catalogue of music. Collectively, Bonamassa has over 30 albums to date with studio and live recordings, collaborative albums with blues sensation Beth Hart, and the adventurous side projects Black Country Communion and Rock Candy Funk Party. A prolific writer who is always on the hunt to expand his eclectic musical horizons, Bonamassa has a limitless work ethic whether it’s in studio, on the road, or working with other artists to spur new music. He’s been featured in several publications from Esquire and Parade to Rolling Stone and American Songwriter, as well as on the covers of Guitar Player, Vintage Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, and Classic Rock Magazine.
The New York state native opened up for B.B. King when he was only 12 years old and has since played alongside such artists as Eric Clapton, Stephen Still, Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes, Steve Winwood, and Buddy Guy among others. B.B. King might not have guessed it at the time, but that 12-year-old whiz kid would go on to become an industry powerhouse. Building on their 28-year partnership, Bonamassa and his manager, Roy Weisman, created their own record label, management, marketing, and concert promotion company called J&R Adventures over a decade ago. Together, the two mavericks devised a 360-degree independent business model that has survived and thrived during one of the music industry’s most uncertain eras.
Joe also runs a non-profit organization called Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation whose mission is to promote and sustain music education and blues music by funding scholarships and providing music education resources to schools in need. To date, the non-profit has funded schools and teachers with over $450,000 and has positively affected over 60,000 students all-across the country. This music festival cruise is the biggest fundraising event for the foundation and because of the generous fans had raised over $136,000 for the non-profit this past year.
From child star sensation to world-renowned artist and philanthropist, Bonamassa continues to evolve as a dynamic live performer as he’s on the road around 200 days out of the year, but when he’s not on stage, he’s fully committed to crafting the highest quality new music to share with his audiences and fans.
