“The Titan of The Telecaster" - Bill Kirchen

Blues Bear & B97 / B93 are proud to present “The Titan of The Telecaster" Bill Kirchen - Country Rock - Rockabilly, Singer, Songwriter Grammy Nominated Guitarist. Bill performed and wrote many great songs playing with Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen from 1967 to the mid-1970s. “To Much Fun”, “Mama Hated Diesels” are just a few of his killer repertoire along with his signature version of “Hot Rod Lincoln”. Bill will be touring as a trio with road tested rhythm section drummer, Malcom Miles and Paul Riley on bass.

Grammy nominated guitarist, singer and songwriter Bill Kirchen first gained national recognition as a founding member of Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen. His trademark guitar licks drove their Hot Rod Lincoln cut into the Top Ten in 1972. He has released ten CDs on his own, and recorded and/or played guitar live with a who's who of Americana and Roots Rock 'N' Roll, among them Gene Vincent, Link Wray, Bo Diddley, Hazel Dickens, Doug Sahm, Hoyt Axton, Emmylou Harris, Maria Muldaur, Dan Hicks, Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello.

Nov. 12, Sat. - Big Island

Palace Theater

38 Haili St. Hilo, Hi. 96720

Tickets: $35. Gen. Adm. $55. Gold Circle

Doors: 6:00 pm. Show: 7:30 pm. 

Go To: http://www.bluesbearhawaii.com or Call: 808-896-4845 

www.bluesbearhawaii.com Palace Theater Box Office Mon. - Fri. 10am - 3pm. hilopalace.com 808-934-7010 , Hilo Music Exchange: Hilo; Kona Music Exchange - Kailua Kona; Kiernan Music - Old Town Kainaliu; Waimea General Store - Parker Square, Kamuela; Rogers Guitars - Pahoa

Blues Bear Hawaii, LLC

Bill Kirchen

Grammy nominated guitarist, singer and songwriter Bill Kirchen is one of the fortunate few who can step on any stage, play those trademark licks which drove the seminal Commander Cody classic Hot Rod Lincoln into the Top Ten nationwide, and elicit instant recognition. Named a “Titan of the Telecaster” by Guitar Player Magazine, he celebrates a musical tradition that embraces rock ‘n’ roll, blues and bluegrass, Texas Western swing and California honkytonk. Nick Lowe describes Bill as “... a devastating culmination of the elegant and funky… a really sensational musician, with enormous depth.” 

Bill received his Grammy nomination in 2001. A winner of multiple Wammies over the years, in 2002 he was one of three artists inducted into the Washington D.C. Area Music Association Hall of Fame along with Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters) and John Philip Sousa. 

Bill is an architect of what is now known as Roots Rock ‘n’ Roll and Americana, and still continues to be one of its most active proponents, playing, writing and performing throughout the world. 

In demand on the lecture circuit, he has spoken at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC as part of the “Electrified, Amplified and Deified - The Electric Guitar” exhibition and at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. He was interviewed on the national TV special “Yesterday and Today: Honky Tonk & Western Swing” at the Broken Spoke in Austin, TX, where he performed along with Hank Thompson, Doug Sahm, Don Walser and more. Bill was a keynote speaker at the International Conference on Elvis Presley in Memphis and currently finds time to lead workshops and instruct at Jorma Kaukonen’s Fur Peace Ranch and the Augusta Heritage Center. 

Justly famous for his indelible Telecaster sound, Bill Kirchen has been everywhere over the span of a 40-plus-year career: he was a founding member of the legendary Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen; he released eight critically acclaimed solo albums; he toured internationally with Nick Lowe and has performed with Doug Sahm, Gene Vincent, Elvis Costello, Dan Hicks, Emmylou Harris, Bruce Hornsby and Link Wray. 

Artist Website: www.billkirchen.com 

Bill records for Red House Records, Proper Records and Proper American 

Bill Kirchen and Austin de Lone team up for a hands-across-the-Atlantic collection with their new studio album, Transatlanticana, out on August 26, 2016 on Red House Records. This long-overdue release unites the pioneers of two major musical movements: Kirchen co-founded the original “Americana” band, Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen, and his trademark Telecaster licks drove their hit “Hot Rod Lincoln” into the Top 10 in 1972. De Lone dropped out of Harvard to start Eggs Over Easy, moving to London and recording with Jimi Hendrix’s producer/manager and The Animals’ bass player Chas Chandler in 1970. The Eggs are the progenitors of British pub rock, the first link in the chain to punk rock, new wave and beyond. Backed by both their all-star British and American bands, Transatlanticana finds Kirchen and de Lone trading songwriting credits and lead vocals on this soulful and rocking collection.

Bill Kirchen was the driving force guitar player in Commander Cody & his Lost Planet Airmen and with seventy-one years on the clock, has never had any job other than playing guitar.

In the 1990s he was invited by long-time fan Nick Lowe to join his band (The Impossible Bird tour and album) and there he remained for a while until branching out on his own.

Widely recognized as the “Titan of the Telecaster”, Bill is in constant demand on tour in the USA.

Since signing to Proper/Last Music record labels, Bill has toured the UK several times playing to bigger audiences on each occasion.

Bill is touring the re-issue of his complete “Proper” recordings as a collector’s edition set.

The band is a trio including Paul “Bassman” Riley and Malcolm Mills.

Grammy-nominated guitarist, singer, and songwriter Bill Kirchen first gained national recognition as a founding member of the original “Americana” group Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen. His trademark guitar licks drove their “Hot Rod Lincoln” into the Top Ten in 1972. His latest recording “Transatlanticana” hit the Top 10 on the Americana Radio chart, staying in the Top 40 for 5 months.

Bill has released 11 CDs under his own name, and recorded and/or played guitar live with a who's who of Americana and Rock 'N' Roll, among them, Gene Vincent, Link Wray, Bo Diddley, Hazel Dickens, Doug Sahm, Hoyt Axton, Emmylou Harris, Maria Muldaur, Dan Hicks, Steve Earle, Redd Volkaert, Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello.

 “I think he's great … You should hear him on the new [Nick Lowe] album.” - Johnny Cash

“Opening night was particularly special due to the presence of Les Paul and Albert Lee, ... Bill Kirchen cranked up his Tele for a set that gave the crowd a hotfoot, sparked by his epic cover of “Hot Rod Lincoln”. Danny Gatton Tribute, Tramps, New York, NY” - Rolling Stone

“Like an impassioned preacher in a souped-up convertible, Kirchen described passing Muddy Waters, Link Wray, Merle Haggard, B. B. King, Carl Perkins, Jimi Hendrix and more, nodding in tribute to each one with a perfect guitar quotation as he drove by. … Bill Kirchen took everyone for the ride of their lives in his Hot Rod Lincoln.” - Washington City Paper

“...a knockout ... package of great tracks from one of the greatest guitar players of our time.” 

- 3rd Coast Music on King of Dieselbilly CD

“Bill Kirchen rules. It's just that simple … ” - Austin American-Statesman