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== Wes Mackey ==

Blues guitarist and vocalist

Born: December 12, 1942

Location: Big Estate, Yemassee, South Carolina, USA

http://www.wesmackey.com

'''Discography ''' 2013 Life is a Journey

2012 Good Morning Blues with Remi 'Cityreal " Huot

2010 Beyond Words

2008 Mr. Blues

2006 Second Chance

1993 Bluesman

Biography
An edited excerpt from an article by GEORGES LEMAIRE

Soul Bag Magazine Issue 192

Beyond Words

Wesley Mackey was born on December 12, 1942, in a small house in Big Estate near the old Combahee plantation, close to Yemassee, South Carolina, USA. He was the youngest of five children. Father, Abraham Mackey, was a Baptist preacher and the caretaker for a fishing club on the Combahee River. Mother, Mary worked as a cleaning lady and cook until she was struck by a serious illness that left her incapacitated for many years. She passed away when Mackey was 17 and shortly after he moved to Augusta, Georgia.

Augusta Georgia

Mackey talks about his early days in Augusta “After moving there I attended a concert by a guitarist named Billy Jackson. He was an excellent musician who helped me and influenced me a great deal. I also met a bunch of older musicians who took me under their wings and gave me my musical initiation. They'd play in big bands and used to meet at a place called the Club Desoda. They would laugh and share old stories about life on the road. After few drinks the jam session would start. I remember these old guys used to carry their instruments everywhere, no matter where they went. If an opportunity to play came up, they were ready. I started my “professional” career at 17 at a juke joint there. I remember my first payday… 50 cents and a chicken sandwich. fter leaving Augusta, I didn't have a fixed address for several years. I was always on the road, doing the chitlin' circuit and working with any band that would have me. I wound up in Boston, playing in clubs and strip joints. For many years I was the sideman.

The Early 60's

In the early 60's many of the touring artists would hire local bands to accompany them and I was lucky enough to be in the right place, at the right time. In the 60's in the South there was a fraternity circuit, which was sort of a part of the chitlin' circuit. The fraternities regularly had shows with black artists who would come through town, performing for a young, white audience.At the time I played with a band called the Rock and Roll Kings. We played a lot at The University of Georgia in Athens.

I accompanied so many bands, I couldn't name them all. That was over 40 years ago! It's hard to imagine it was so long ago... I don't want to overstate the importance of our association but I have to say that my experiences playing with John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters really influenced, inspired and encouraged me. I played with Muddy in Augusta, at the Paramount Country Club… I played with John Lee Hooker at a university. I remember asking him how he wrote his lyrics. He laughed and said “When you're hungry and you gotta eat, that gives you a lot of ideas! here were also groups like The Platters and The Drifters.. We didn't spend a lot of time with those musicians. They would show up, put on their show and leave right away for the next venue. I sure would have liked to have spent more time with them, cause all the girls used to follow them around!

I also remember accompanying Martha Reeves and the Vandellas. They were late and rushed in at the last minute. I was so impressed by their clothes, the way they moved and their choreography. Those girls were gorgeous! I couldn't believe my eyes. I was so lucky to be there! I can't remember their whole show, but I'll never forget how it started and how they sang Heat Wave. Like all the groups, they did their show and hit the road as soon as they were done. That time, I was really disappointed... have to admit that of all the artists I accompanied, Jimmy Reed had the greatest impact on me. Actually, I recorded a few of his tunes on my CD's. When we played Baby, What You Want Me To Do and You Don't Have To Go, it triggered something in me..”

''' Second Chance '''

My first gigs in Canada took place while I was with the Earl Lett International Soul Set. I immediately took a liking to Canada, because blues and jazz musicians were well received there. I played all over the country. I even had to play some country, some jazz and some rock music, and that has probably influenced my style today. Before working with Earl Lett, I also played with The Untouchables and Eddie “Funky Fingers”Davis, a virtuoso on the Hammond organ. With Earl Lett, we traveled quite a bit It's with him that I came to Paris for the first time. It was in Halifax, Nova Scotia that I met my wife and that I settled down for the first time in my life. I formed my own band, Wes Mackey and the Brotherhood and I worked with some great artists like Dutchy Mason. I even had a spot on a national television show called Performance.”

After a breakdown of the marriage Mackey wandered across Canada for several years and finally landed in a small town in the Canadian North called Port Hardy, the Western-most town on the Pacific coast. For a period of time he gave up on music and fell into the local lifestyle of loggers and fishermen. “I found a job working for the city, and among my many duties, I had to catch stray dogs and bring them to the pound. That job didn't last long since I knew all of the dogs in town and returned them to their owners. But I also learned how to operate bulldozers and other heavy machinery. I made a lot of friends and we used to drink and party hard. Time seemed to have stopped.”

When he was ready to get back into the music scene, he attended a regional college to upgrade his skills but discovered when he moved to Vancouver that jobs were hard to come by. “It's as if I was starting from scratch.” he says. He played whatever genre was required to land and keep a job. Eventually he worked himself from gritty pubs and bars on to cruise ships and 5 star venues in Hong Kong. By the time Mackey had settled down in Vancouver again, he had undergone a personal evolution that made him feel he was ready for a major change “I was fed up with playing music that meant nothing to me so I decided to get back to my roots and start playing the blues again. "That's why my album, Second Chance means so much to me."

“ I never even thought my CD would make it to radio so I was surprised when it came in near the top of the Canadian blues charts.” On the success of that album Mackey’s career took him on several twists and turns as he searched to find his personal and professional identity. In that process he began writing his own music and with partner Laura Fisher. He released 2 more albums (Mr. Blues and Beyond Words)

Mackey also collaborated on a diverse range of projects including the critically acclaimed Blues/hip hop release with Remi” Cityreal” Huot Good Morning Blues. One of the songs “Passing Me By” eventually became an WCMA nominated music video. The two continue to work together.

Wes Mackey's has toured Europe at least 6 times in the last decade playing venues from bistro to concert stage. In 2010 he became an honourary citisen of Provence, France and the first black blues artist to perform in Slovakia. Hi latest release in August 2013 is the aptly titled Life is a Journey.