Bass Performance Hall

Delbert Mcclinton Returns To Bass Hall On August 30

Jeffrey Steele of “Nashville Star” to open.

Bass Performance Hall proudly welcomes back acclaimed blues singer Delbert McClinton on Saturday, August 30, 2008 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $28.00-$50.00.

Delbert McClinton’s name is synonymous with Fort Worth, where the Grammy®-winning singer/songwriter grew up. His music is a constant reminder of the town’s yesterdays – when R&B music trickled out of legendary clubs like the Cellar and the Jacksboro Highway was lined with rough-and-tumble juke joints. McClinton spent the greater part of his youth in and out of those clubs, as both a fan and performer, and those memories and experiences are deeply embedded in his albums and concerts, giving his music a distinctive Fort Worth feel.

His most recent album, Cost of Living, carries on those traditions. “The sheer intensity and acumen of McClinton’s delivery on these songs takes his reputation as one of the great R&B singers to an entirely new shelf,” the Allmusic Guide wrote of the album. “(It’s) so deep, it’s fathomless.”

Born in Lubbock, McClinton often says his first exposure to live music came when his parents took him to see Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys at The Cotton Club, a historic Lubbock venue. Just a few years later, after his family moved to Fort Worth, McClinton graduated from fan to performer, as he made his way through Fort Worth’s gritty nightclub scene, playing better-watch-your-back clubs like Jack’s Place and the Skyliner Ballroom. It was in these clubs that McClinton honed his skills as a blues musician, picking up guitar and harmonica licks from masters like Sonny Boy Williamson and Jimmy Reed.

In 1962, McClinton got his first taste of success when a cut he played harmonica on – Bruce Channel’s classic “Hey! Baby” – hit the national charts, leading to a world tour. On that tour, McClinton gave harmonica lessons to a then-obscure musician: John Lennon.

After a brief stint as one half of the band Delbert & Glen, McClinton spent the next three decades releasing solo albums, touring and recording with artists such as Bonnie Raitt and writing hits for Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill and Garth Brooks, among others. In 2001, his career hit its stride with the release of the album, Nothing Personal, which the Wall Street Journal called his “best recording ever.”

At this point in his career, McClinton says, he still has the drive to keep going. “As long as I’ve been doing this, I still every day feel like I can do better,” he says. “Most people either burn out or stop doing it all the time by now. So far, I have not lost the inspiration. It’s getting even better for me. I am the luckiest man, you know.”

McClinton’s backing band consists of: guitarist Rob McNelley, bassist Stanley Sheldon, keyboardist Kevin McKendree, sax player Dennis Taylor and drummer Lynn Williams.

Opening for McClinton will be Jeffrey Steele, an acclaimed songwriter who has penned hits for Rascal Flatts, Craig Morgan and many other bands and singers. He has also hosted the country-music talent show “Nashville Star” and currently stars in the reality program, “The Hitmen of Music Row.”

To charge tickets by phone, call (817) 212-4280 in Fort Worth; 1-877-212-4280 (toll free) outside Fort Worth; or order online at www.basshall.com. Tickets are also available at the Bass Performance Hall ticket office at 525 Commerce Street. Ticket office hours: Tuesday through Friday 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

For additional information contact Malcolm Mayhew, Media Coordinator, Nancy Lee & Perry R. Bass Performance Hall, 330 East 4th Street, Fort Worth, Texas 76102, Phone - (817) 212-4319, FAX - (817) 810-9294 or see: www.basshall.com