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Profile
Ronnie Baker Brooks
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1999 KBA Award Winner
Achievement for Blues on the Internet
Presented by the Blues Foundation
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Ronnie Baker Brooks, the son of Chicago blues legend Lonnie Brooks, is carrying on the family business of great blues guitar playing. After spending more than a dozen years as lead guitarist and bandleader in his father’s band, Ronnie has set out on his own, rapidly making a name for himself as a solo artist. A naturally gifted guitarist and showman, Ronnie Baker Brooks lights up every stage he plays on. He first stepped on stage when he was 9 years old, playing with his dad at Pepper's Lounge in Chicago. Ronnie recalls, "Dad told me if I learned to play 'Messin' With the Kid' and 'Reconsider Baby,' he would allow me to perform with him on stage to celebrate my birthday." Ronnie did learn the songs, performed with his dad, captured the audience and was bitten by the blues bug. "That's one birthday I'll never forget!". Ronnie joined The Lonnie Brooks band full-time in 1986 and has grown to be an accomplished guitarist, singer and songwriter. Until he set out on his own, Ronnie was a featured guitarist opening his Dad's live gigs with a blistering set of his own. He made his recording debut in 1988 on Lonnie Brooks' Live From Chicago album - Bayou Lightning Strikes. In 1992 he played his first solo gig at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival filling in for Lonnie who was ill at the time. He made the jump to permanent solo status in January 1999, releasing his debut album, Golddigger, that same year. "The importance of crossing cultural barriers is one of the most important lessons I've learned," says Ronnie. "I loved playing with my Dad, but I know I can make it on my own. I am determined to keep the family legacy, to keep the blues alive."
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