michael packer: News

2011 is history but it was quite a year both good and bad. Michael Packer was inducted into The Blues Hall Of Fame but legendary delta bluesman and friend Honeyboy Edwards passed away at the age of 96. We did get to play his final gig with him in Clarksdale MS on April 16, 2011. I will never forget him. We had some great nights too many to mention here but some of the highlights were Rob Paparozzi and Bernard Purdie sitting in with us @ The Turning Point Cafe, The Honeyboy Edwards Tribute @ Buddy Guys Legends in Chicago, Staten Island Benefit for Robin Rogers who also passed away where the blues community got together for her. She will be missed. Thank you to all the venues that give us a chance to perform and to all the folks who come out to see us. We couldn't do it with out you. We wish you all success in 2012!

2012 has already started out with a bang. We brought the New Year in right @ a great blues club called Brian's Backyard BBQ in Middletown NY and then proceeded to Woodstock NY where we performed @ my friends Rob & Joni's Logstock which is their fabulous home. I was also named NY Blues Ambassador to the Blues Hall Of Fame and inducted Levon Helm, Barbara O'Brien (Levons manager), Commander Cody, Prof. Louie, Alexis P.Suter and band, Felix Cabrera, Rob Ramirez, Joni Elenson and Robert Jr. Whitall editor and chief of Big City Blues Magazine......Watch out 2012! Here we come....

The new CD Live @ The Turning Point with guest harmonica player the great Rob Paparozzi was released today by Interscope Digital.

Michael Packer is now in the Blues Hall Of Fame! The Michael Packer Blues Band will be the house band for the Honeyboy Edwards tribute @ Buddy Guys Legends in Chicago on Wednesday October 19th. www.buddyguy.com

David "Honeyboy" Edwards has passed away at the age 0f 96. He was an american blues legend and what an honor to have the privilege of performing with him...R.I.P.

Michael Packer has been nominated and will be inducted into The Blues Hall Of Fame on Sunday September 25th @ Brians Backyard BBQ in Middletown NY.

Michael Packer's song She Left This Morning has been nominated by Big City Blues Magazine for blues song of the year. To vote go to www.bigcitybluesmag.com

A new CD by Michael Packer consisting of 40 year old recordings from the Papa Nebo, Atlantic Record years. Featured track is "Bull Frog Blues" with Jon Paris on harp and Jerry Marotta on drums. Released by the Iris Music Group and produced by Alan Lorber.

Windmill Music has just added contemporary gospel singer Pearl Jackson who hails from New York. Her latest recording "Sweet Is His Love" will be presented to record labels in the U.S and abroad. This our first crack @ the Christian market and if there ever was an artist to break into this genre' it would be Pearl Jackson. She is fabulous and we are lucky to have her aboard....

Windmill Music artists Son Jack Jr. and Michael Wilde have debuted @ #45 on the RMR national blues charts and #2 on the Washington State radio charts. They are also #2 @ Bluesville (clicks to pick) XM Sirius radio. Congratulations to these fine artists!

2010 was quite a year. I had the honor of playing 2nd guitar with the legendary Honeyboy Edwards @ several venues including Briggs Farm Blues Festival and The Turning Point where he played "Dust My Broom". It was incredible! Honeyboy is the man... All my gigs are great! I am blessed. I get to play my guitar. I would like to thank all the club owners and promoters for having me.

Briggs Farm, Black Potatoe, Warwick Winery, NYC Marathon, Logstock, Turning Point, Sopac Performing Arts Center, International Blues Challenge, Towne Crier, Ben's Deli, BB King's, Alor Cafe (benefit for Robin Rogers)to name a few. If I left you out you know who you are and I love you too but my list is pretty long. I play everywhere!

Probably the coolest thing that happened was that I was inducted into my High School Hall of Fame which to me was pretty amazing! I got to go back to another life in time. So Happy New Year to everyone! Live your dreams! - Michael Packer

Michael Packer's song "Pelican" has been included in the various artist compilation and is available for download @ www.bluesforthegulf.org/musicforthegulf.htm Proceeds go to those who suffered losses due to the recent oil spill. Produced by Bob Margolin and also includes Windmill Music artist "The Bottoms Up Gang" from St.Louis...

Bob Dorr and the Blue Band from Iowa are #44 on the Roots Music Report National Blues Charts while The Michael Packer Blues Band is #59 on the New York State Radio Charts and Papa Nebo bandmate sax player Bob Mintzer is also @ #29 with his new CD "Canyon Cove".

Happy Birthday to my best friend in the whole wide - world. She is 9 years old and her name is SPOOKY!!! and I love her!!!

We are #40 on the Rhapsody Country Blues Charts and have upcoming shows @ The South Orange Performance Arts Center in South Orange New Jersey and BB Kings/Lucilles in NYC. Catch us if you can!

What a week of performances! We raised $1000 for Robin Rogers @ her benefit where the legendary Bernard "Pretty" Purdie sat in on drums. The great harmonica player Rob Paparozzi, blues piano player Ann Rabson and the Alexis P. Suter Band also performed.Then it was off to the Towne Crier to play guitar with Honeyboy Edwards. On Saturday I was inducted into the Fox Lane High School Hall Of Fame in Bedford NY and to cap off the weekend back with Honeyboy @ The Turning Point where he played a killer rendition of "Dust My Broom". Life doesn't get any better then that! Thank you to everyone who attended these events!!!

Michael Packer has some great gigs coming up this month. Every Tuesday he will be hosting a jam session @ Alor Cafe in Staten Island NY. He will be playing the Turning Point Cafe in Piermont NY with guests Earwig recording artist guitarist Tim Woods and 16 year old harmonica ace Jay Gaunt. He will be back @ BB Kings/Lucilles and The Stanhope House (Stanhope NJ) opening for Guitar World Magazine editor - guitarist Andy Aledort and The Groove Kings. Michael will also be sitting in with blues guitarist Michael Powers @ Terra Blues in NYC. September ends with an outdoor concert in Keyport NJ and a Gospel Show with the Alexis P. Suter Band in Woodstock NY! Honeyboy Edwards returns in October! (please go to the calendar section for dates and times)...

On Saturday October 9, 2010 in Bedford,NY Michael Packer will be inducted into the Fox Lane High School Sports Hall Of Fame along with the Fox Lane Cross-Country team who in 1965 were New York State Champions!

Michael Packer just completed 3 days of festivals with the legendary Delta bluesman Honeyboy Edwards. They played the Black Potatoe Festival in New Jersey at a sold out show which also featured the incredible guitarist Duke Robillard. On Saturday afternoon Michael played guitar with Honeyboy and Michael Frank (harmonica) on the Back Porch stage @ The Briggs Farm Blues Festival in Pennsylvania. That night Honey Boy and Michael Frank were joined by Michael (guitar), Ed Jackson (bongos), Guy Powell (drums) and J.B. Becton on bass where they played the main stage to thousands of people. It was amazing! On Sunday the weekend concluded with a gig in Harrisburg PA. called The Mississippi Railroad Picnic where the trio played another set and the band got a chance to play some Michael Packer music joined by Earwig recording artist Tim Woods. What a blues weekend. Thank you Honeyboy!

The other night (June 24th) I had the honor of hanging out with the blues legends @ Lincoln Center in NYC, thanks to my good friends from Woodstock Joanie & Rob. It was a celebration of James Cotton's 75th birthday featuring Hubert Sumlin, Pinetop Perkins, Shamieka Copeland, Taj Mahal and another good friend the great blues piano player David Maxwell. What a night! Next week I'll be playing 2nd guitar with Honeyboy Edwards and Michael Frank on harmonica....the blues just keeps getting better and better....Michael Packer

The Free Beer CD (Blue Skunk Records) is #61 this week on the New York State Radio Charts. The CD is also #33 on the Airplay Direct Global Blues Charts and #50 on the Texas Blues Charts @ Emusic!

Windmill Music is proud to announce we will be representing two fabulous artists from Detroit, The Front Street Blues Band and soul-singer Sweet Claudett. Both artists have received radio airplay throughout the country and the world. The Front Street Blues Band have charted on Roots Music Report while Sweet Claudett charted #17 @ Living Blues magazine. We are thrilled to be working with these very talented artists. In other news The Michael Packer Blues Band continues receiving airplay throughout the country with chart success @ emusic #84 Texas Blues Charts and #76 on The Rhapsody Country Blues Charts.

Windmill Music's Singer-Songwriter Sonya Kahn was selected to audition for NBC's popular television show "America's Got Talent". Sonya may well be on her way to becoming a super star! We have no doubt. She is that good! Plus Roots-Blues Vocalist Cee Cee James is also making some noise in the Blues world. Her current CD on Blue Skunk Music is #15 @ Living Blues Radio Charts and #8 @ Roots Music Report! Congratulations to these very talented ladies!

Michael Packer will be playin 2nd guitar with Honeyboy Edwards and Michael Frank @ the Briggs Farm Festival and The Missisippi Railroad Picnic this summer (go to calendar). More dates TBA. Joe Rutan from Blue Skunk Music will be booking the Michael Packer Blues Band in the Northeast. The just released "Free Beer' CD by Michael Packer has hit The Roots Music Report Blues Charts @ #35, New York State Radio Charts @ #7 and Michael Packer remains steadily in the top 100 on the Rhapsody Country Blues Charts. Windmill Music artists Chaz Depaolo and Ron Hacker have releases coming out on Blue Skunk Music this spring. Windmill has just added the brilliant singer-songwriter Sonya Kahn and are currently shopping her CD to major labels. We are making moves but we can't do it alone. Please get out and support live music...Thank you!!!

It might have been billed as a concert but it turned into an unforgettable blues party par excellence @ the Larry Holmes Ringside restaurant friday night in Easton Pennsylvania.The Michael Packer Blues Band warmed up the crowd and it was hot in there by the time David 'Honeyboy' Edwards was announced to do his set. Backed by harmonica player/manager Michael Frank and Michael Packer on guitar, "Honeyboy" hit the stage and mesmerized the audience with his guitar and haunting vocals. You can't get anymore authentic then this. Delta blues at its finest! He played with Robert Johnson and he hasn't slowed down @ 95 years old. Honeyboy then joined the Michael Packer Blues Band for a jam which lasted into the wee hours of the morning. He was having such a good time he didn't want to leave the stage. The band had a hard time keeping up with him......simply an amazing night of real deal blues! - Steven Siegel Morning Call Newspaper

Michael Packer will be playing 2nd guitar with one of the last of the living delta blues legends Honey Boy Edwards @ Larry Holmes restauraunt in Easton PA on Friday March 12th. Mr. Packer will also be playing rhythm guitar for Marc Benno famous for his guitar work with Stevie Ray Vaughn and the Doors as part of the support band for Honey Boy Edwards @ BB Kings in NYC on Thursday March 11th. This is the blues. The real deal...