Gregg Wright

Barry Middleton (BM) Interview with Gregg Wright (Gregg) - June 2010

BM: What were your first experiences of the Blues?

Gregg: Listening to my parents, aunts and uncles playing Blues records like Jimmy Reed, Howlin' Wolf and B.B. King. The old folks seemed to be having one helluva good time!

BM: Who were the influences on your musical career?

Gregg: I was heavily influenced by British Rock . . . especially the guitar players; Beck, Clapton, Page and of course Hendrix.

BM: Does singing the Blues come from experience?

Gregg: Absolutely! The Blues is an emotional, expressive music. If you don't feel it, you can't express it. The feeling and expression comes from reliving and relaying life experience; the good, bad, beautiful and ugly.

BM: What was the first gig that you played?

Gregg: My first gig was a poolside party at about age 15. We sucked so bad, kids tried to electrocute us by splashing water on our gear, hoping we'd either die or go away.

BM: Do you think that Blues needs to evolve to stay relevant?

Gregg: Everything on planet Earth must evolve to survive, including the Blues! End of story!

BM: Aims for the future and what do you hope to achieve within the Blues?

Gregg: To continue growing as an artist and guitarist. I want to keep pushing the boundaries of what I do, torpedoes be damned!

BM: Why do you feel that young people are not as attracted to the Blues as other Genres?

Gregg: It’s hard for kids to relate to an artist just 10 years older than they are. How the Hell are they gonna relate to some guy a half century removed?
The problem is two-fold. Today’s pop radio plays mostly sampled rubbish. That’s what kids are exposed to. Real music artists are virtually non existent on radio, especially in the States. Most Blues radio programs I hear play mostly artists that have been dead for a very long time. Newer artists and fans are being done a real disservice by this mind set. Sad!

BM: What other styles of music have you drawn inspiration from?

Gregg: Man, I’m like a sponge. I love everything! If it’s killer music with killer sound and killer playing or singing, Man I’m there! Classical, Jazz, Blues, Rock, Soul, Reggae, you name it!

BM: When did you start playing (guitar)?

Gregg: Summer of 1968. Very exciting time to pick up a guitar.

BM: How would you like to see music change over the next 10 years?

Gregg: I’d like to see a renaissance of real playing, real composing and real music come back into the mainstream. I’d also like to see a more realistic, honest industry.

BM: If you wasn’t a musician (in a band) what would you be doing?

Gregg: I’d be a photographer. I love photography.

BM: What sort of music did you listen to growing up?

Gregg: Jazz, Rock, Blues, & Soul.

BM: You are a singer/songwriter. What drives your song-writing?

Gregg: Increasingly, there seems to be a lot I want to get off my chest. Plenty of stuff happening in the world to give you a whole lot of Blues!

BM: If you had the opportunity to play with any blues artist dead or alive live on stage who would it be?

Gregg: Albert King! Clapton would be cool, too.

BM: What do you do to relax when you have some spare time away from music?

Gregg: Photography. I love wakling around and taking pictures of whatever!

Thanks a lot Gregg for some great answers

Barry Middleton Chairperson
Nottingham Blues Society