Hambone Wilson

Thayer Hambone Wilson was born in Fairfax VA on April 29th, 1970.

Hambone vividly remembers his first exposure to the blues. It was at the young age of 6 when his class went on a field trip to Frying Pan Park in Herndon, VA. There he saw live roots musician John Jackson play the Virginia Piedmont style of blues.

Growing up Thayer followed his destiny, constantly listening to and learning from his older brothers records. Thayer, making his first slide from a brass pipe, playing it on a cheap guitar, talked three friends into forming his first band called White Lightning. Later numerous teen-aged bands followed, playing anywhere and everywhere in the Washington DC area. Meanwhile Thayer, now nicknamed Hambone, polished his guitar chops and absorbed the influences of local superstars Danny Gatton, Roy Buchanan,The Seldom Scene, Catfish Hodge, the Jimmy Thackery led Nighthawks, and Root Boy Slim and the Sex Change Band.

In 1989 Hambone enrolled at Potomac State, a small college in Keyser West VA. Potomac State is located in the Appalachia Mountains, an area rich in old time mountain music which Hambone absorbed and integrated into his playing. After two years at Potomac State Hambone transferred to West Virginia University in Morgantown WV. In 1993 he saw the formation of the Hambone Wilson Band whose first performance was at The Hedgehog, a notorious dive in Sunnyside, West VA. At that time WVU was regularly listed as one of the top party schools in the nation, and the night life was as vibrant as the music being played. Hambone thrived in this atmosphere, playing everything from rock, blues, the funk, to southern boogie on a nightly basis with a variety of local musicians. In 1994 he joined The Barefeet and Company, a talented all original ,band that played the East coast college circuit until 1998.The band headlining for crowds of several thousand and were opening for major label touring bands. With several vocalists and a repertoire that covered all genres of music The Barefeet and Company was a much loved jam band. During that time they released 2 albums. with the Home Grown Music Net Work. and were listed in 150 best live acts in North America. Dean Buddneck. Phish Biographer.

Hambone fed up with the constant touring, recording and negotiating with promoters. In 1999, began to move and play around the country until settling in the Northwest corner of Washington State, where he still resides on a small acreage in the foothills of the Cascades. Since relocating, he has played with many of the regions top players and bands, and started a friendship with Evan Johns, an internationally known guitar player originally from the Washington, DC area. Through eight years of guitar dueling, live performances, and recording with Evan Johns, Hambone’s guitar playing has evolved to the unique sound that he offers to today’s audiences. Which is a mixture of all Hambone’s influences, but richly steeped in the blues and rockabilly of the Washington DC music scene. Currently, 2013-2015 , Thayer Hambone Wilson, Has been Traveling and Recording between Vancouver B.C. and Los Angeles California. At such studios as Bell Sound, Hollywood. Ca. He enlisted many top nationally/international known musicians in recording his new ,original, Self written/produced,16 track full length CD. self titled. “Thayer Hambone Wilson” with the likes of Kenny Gradney, bass, “Little Feat”, Greg Thomas ,Sax., “P-funk”. Dave Stone, Hammond B3 Organ, “Rainbow”. Chad Watson, “Multi -instrumentalist.” Adam Drake, Drums. Dr, Jimmy, Bass. Willie Maccalder, Piano.” Powder Blues Band”. Ricky Wilkins, Piano. Amanda Grace Wilkins, Backing Vocals. released on April 4th 2015.

Thayer Hambone Wilson, never to rest on his laurels , has begun to record the next project ,with the likes of Eddie Brown, Hammond B3 organ. Janek Gwizdahla, Bass. Donald Barrett, Drums. look for future recordings and touring dates. He may just bring his “Wildest Guitar in the West “to your town, city ,home. Look for dates in 2016 with the one and only Jimmy D. Lane. and The Hambone Wilson Band, and duo with Alfie Harpo.

Wilson is a fine songwriter, adroitly using both acoustic and electric instruments, who knowingly mines the traditional lyrical seams of modern Americana. The most immediately striking aspect is Wilson’s warm but wonderfully ragged voice, which has a muscular, emotional depth to it. He is also a first class guitar player as evidenced by the weeping slide of “Sweet Virginia”. the Johnny Winter-inspired slashing bottleneck of “Good Grief” or the outstanding Roy Buchanan – influenced solo’s of ” Cheating and Lying” or “Murder Me” Rhys Williams – Blues Blast Magazine.