VAN WILKS
VOCALIST/GUITARIST

In Austin, Texas, a city known for it's great guitarists, Van Wilks has long been lauded as one of the city's master players. In fact, his talents as a guitarist and band leader have won him consistent critical praise, a string of honors that was capped when he was voted by Austin music fans into the Texas Hall of fame alongside some of the state's most legendary music talents.

In his third decade as a leader of the vital Austin music scene, Van Wilks "continues to make some of the city's hottest guitar rock.", says the Austin Chronicle, creating music that brings his blues roots to the cutting edge with funk, hard rock and pop flavors. His talent for making compelling, hard-edged, bluesy rock 'n' roll prompted a reviewer for England's tastemaking Kerrang! to name Van Wilks' Mercury Bombay Tears as "one of my all time faves," declaring it "a masterpiece."

His band, also known as Van Wilks, has topped music polls by the Austin Sun (Band of the Year), the Austin Chronicle (Best Hard Rock Band four years in a row), and the award-winning AOR station KLBJ-FM (Best Austin Band). Declared "a perfect cross between Jimi Hendrix and Van Halen" by the Austin American Statesman, Van Wilks has toured nationally with such acts as ZZ Top (whose Billy Gibbons is one of Van Wilks' biggest fabs and supporters), Heart and many others, and torn the roof off of nightclubs from Lubbock, Texas to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, and countless points in between. As the Houston Chronicle noted of one of Van Wilks' shows: "By the end of the night we were all so delirious we wouldn't let them go until they came out for several post-closing-time encores."

The four song E.P. "Boystown" prompted the Austin American Statesman to proclaim the song a classic, and with the release of "Soul of a Man" Van Wilks' scorching blues rock once again grabs hold and doesn't let go. Another highlight in Van's discography is a rare duet performance with Eric Johnson of the traditional classic "What child is this".

As Variety observes, "Van Wilks has a keen ear for '60s psychedelic-cum-British blues, which forms the foundation for his refreshing originals." At a time when the blues and it's variations are more popular than ever, Van Wilks is poised to take his music beyond cult and critical acclaim here and in Europe. Mixing his fiery fretwork with searing slide, the soaring melodicism of his 12-string acoustic playing and his rip-roaring rock'n'roll dobro, Van Wilks is blessed by what Kerrang! praises as true "originality" from "a unique artist."

Or in simpler terms, as Jim Beal of the San Antonio Express-News declares: "He sure can play Rock 'n' Roll."

Formerly managed by ZZ TOP's Bill Ham, Van is currently under contract to Red Brazos Music (BMI), a division of Hamstein Music. Founded by Bill Ham, the company publishes the songs of ZZ Top, Jerry Williams (who has penned hits for Eric Clapton), Clint Black and many others.

Van is currently touring and promoting "Soul of a Man". Van is also teaching guitar classes at Dave Sebree's Austin School of Music.

E-Mail Van at guitarvan@aol.com

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