“That’s not a slide on Roy Rogers’ pinky, it’s a time machine. With it, Rogers transports you to the Mississippi Delta’s past and future.” - Guitar Player
Roy Rogers is considered one of the world’s preeminent master Delta slide guitarists. With over 20 recordings to his credit, Rogers has garnered 8 Grammy nominations for producing, as a recording artist, and as a songwriter. His collaborations have garnered major media accolades globally for producing critically acclaimed Grammy-nominated recordings for John Lee Hooker and Ramblin' Jack Elliott, as well as collaborations with Ray Manzarek (The Doors), Bonnie Raitt, Carlos Santana, Allan Toussaint & Sammy Hagar, among others. He is known worldwide for his searing performances that have been named festival favorites at New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival in Holland, Montreux in Switzerland, Pistoia in Italy as well as many North American festivals in Canada, and the United States, having performed worldwide for more than four decades.
“I’m the guy that always likes to push the envelope,” Rogers says, at home in Northern California. “We have always covered a lot of ground with other artists that I have had synergy with our musical tastes, and my band has been with me for many years – we just sync so well. I’ve been very fortunate through the years to collaborate with many gifted artists that I admire and consider longtime friends.”
Born in Redding in 1950 and named after Hollywood’s King of the Cowboys, Rogers grew up in the Bay Area of California and started playing guitar at the age of 12 and became entranced by the recordings of the blues, especially Robert Johnson at age 15. By age 13 he was playing in a local R&R band and quickly became a young blues fanatic hitting the San Francisco’s ‘60s club scene – even once taking his little brother to see Jimi Hendrix perform. When Hooker asked him to go on tour in 1982, it changed his life. Forty years later – he continues to be an inspired player bringing audiences to their feet across the globe.