Biography
Blind Willie
Effective period / Period of releases: 2023
Blind Willie formed in Spokane (Washington) in 1972 and featured terrific guitar player Frank Towbridge from hard-psych legends Sleepy John.They carved out a unique niche in the Northern Idaho/Eastern Washington rock scene in the early to mid-‘70s, performing original music in a time when doing so wasn’t widespread for regional bands.
Within weeks of the group’s formation, they commanded stages with a potent smattering of hard-rock, country-rock, and psych.
The band’s history includes a brief courtship with the Doobie Brothers’ Dave Shogren on bass, as well as major label interest from Columbia and Epic Records.
They recorded at least two sessions of studio demos.
1972 : Recorded at Gene Nygard Home Studio
1974 : Live at Kaye-Smith Studios
Blind Willie Band 1972
Craig Karp - vocals, guitar, bass
Charlie Bieker - vocals, guitar, bass
Frank Towbridge - lead guitar, vocals, arranger
Jim Griffith - drums
Blind Willie Band 1974
Craig Karp - vocals, guitar
Charlie Bieker - vocals, guitar
Frank Towbridge - lead guitar, arranger
Joe Johnson - bass
Mike Garland - drums