Born in Cuba and raised in Chicago, IL, Eddie Turner got the musical bug when he was 12 and started to join rock and blues bands almost instantly. He would get his education by sneaking into the local clubs or hanging out in the alleys to hear the greats like Howlin’ Wolf, Jimmy Smith, and Chicago. He and his friends would jam every weekend at someone’s house and “argue about who copped Clapton’s solo the best in “Crossroads” or whatever. You know; what kids do.”
But seeing Tommy Bolin in Zephyr kicked his dream into high gear.
Eddie got moving on his dream while attending college at the University of Colorado, studying liberal arts, and playing in bands. By the mid-70s, he was invited to join Mother Earth, the backing band of singer Tracey Nelson and a stint in the. After departing that group and after meeting band members Candy and David Givens, he finally landed the guitar spot in the early 1980s and played on their last album, Heartbeat, before Candy’s death in 1984. The release of the album in 1982 was promoted by a video that incorporated early examples of analog computer animation combined with live action, a la Tron the movie.
After Zephyr ended, Eddie took a break from music and got into real estate. Still, his close friend/bass player Kenny Passarelli (Joe Walsh, Ringo Starr’s All-Star Band, Stephen Stills) called him to form The Otis Taylor Band, a stint that lasted for about ten years for Eddie. They toured all over the U.S. and Europe, which gave Turner a taste of the full-time musician life, which he loved. He went on to record five albums with Otis before leaving the band in 2004. “A visionary and maybe, a misunderstood artist. He doesn’t fit in the standard Blues guitarist category,” Kenny Passarelli proclaims.
In 2005, Eddie signed with Canadian blues label, Northern Blues and he released, Rise which resulted in a Blues Music Award nomination for Best New Artist Debut and was followed by 2006’s The Turner Diaries, both to rave reviews from the press and fans. In 2010, he released his third album with the label, Miracles & Demons, which displayed his dynamic guitar work and strong original songwriting. The album was a combination of songs with rap-style lyrics and funk- and groove-based rock that gave way to an infectious, psychedelic urban blues. That release was nominated for a 2011 Blues Blast Magazine Award for Best Contemporary Album. In 2016, he self-released Naked In Your Face, a live album recorded at Calgary’s Blues Can during August of 2015. Turner finds himself playing with an essential trio with bassist/vocalist Anna Lisa Hughes and drummer Kelly Kruse for this exciting live set. For these past few records, Eddie Turner has seen each of them appear on the Living Blues Magazine Charts and the Roots Music Report charts with durations up to 30 plus days.
A life-long student of music, Eddie tries to echo the energy and passion he has behind his guitar and vocals to the listener. “Vocal-wise, everyone keeps telling me
I sound like (Jimi) Hendrix, which I don’t think so, but I’m not going to fight it,” he said. “But if I could, I’d sound like Bobby Blue Bland, who is my favorite singer of the blues. He’s one of the greatest blues singers ever, along with Magic Sam, who I also love.” (from Blues Blast mag 2011). His influences run from Miles Davis, British Blues to Rock to classic rock, “You’ve spent your life listening to every great player, and you try and sneak in those influences,” Eddie Turner (from Blues Blast mag 2011)
A diverse blend of rock, voodoo blues, and R&B peppered with African rhythms, Turner’s music moves the feet while simultaneously haunting the soul. Vintage guitar quoted his album Rise as “personal super-modern music with verve and drive.” Guitar Player Magazine praised Eddie – “Turner’s otherworldly, atmospheric guitar style colors the inventive disc, offering a modern take on a classic genre.”
Fast forward to 2021, after years of touring and playing on records; he went into the studio before the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic hit with an armful of new music. His latest, Change In Me, a melting pot of blues, jazz, and rock while addressing social issues, love, a unique mashup of a Lou Reed song, and a Taj Mahal classic but always bringing his signature guitar tone and vocals to the album. This was produced by himself with his longtime friend, Kenny Passarelli at Kirk Yano’s Studio 99 in Brooklyn NYC, NY and Tim Stroh at Madhouse Studios in Colorado.
Eddie continues to live in the Denver, Colorado area, with his beloved dog, Cookie.
TESTIMONIALS
"The way he delights in stirring up styles and mixing up melodies, you could see Eddie "Devil Boy" Turner as some kind of musical sorcerer"
CASCADE BLUES ASSOCIATION
"He shines like a diamond"
BLUES BLAST MAGAZINE
