Anthony
Downing Holmes
Master Blues Artist 9-23-15.
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ANTHONY
DOWNING HOLMES Bass Guitarist. In 7th grade in Florida
Anthony started his music education on the flute and saxaphone, then his
next band director, jazz great Cannonball Adderly, switched him to acoustic
upright bass.
He
later took up electric bass and formed his own band. He has toured all
over the world and played with Jimmie Reed, Jackie Wilson, Etta James,
Big Maybel, Sam & Dave, Jesse Ferguson, Earl Gaines, Margie Hendrix,
Shirelles, Freddie Empire. In Atlanta he played with many bands including
the Paul Mitchell Trio in Bert Reynolds film Sharkeys Machine
and blues singer Synethia included on her latest cd, the song I
Dont Have To Run Away written by Anthony and his wife.
In
2005 they moved to Spokane where he has played with many of the local
bands in most genres. He has composed all types of music from a young
age and is particularly adept at using and teaching use of recording/producing/composing
with computer music software. Although he has had many basses, his current
Conklin electric Bill Dickens 7 string and Palantino Upright are his favorites.
Performing
with blues singer EARL GAINES
In November of 1966, Earl Gaines came to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to put
together a touring band for his soon to be hit song The Best of
Luck to You. In that band was CJ Rogers (guitar), Lil Irvin (organ),
Alfonso Dames (drums), Charles Lloyd (sax), and I, Anthony D. Holmes on
bass. We left Ft. Lauderdale going back to Nashville to rehearse. On the
way we went over Lookout Mountain and coming down it was snowing real
heavy (my first time seeing snow) and there was a farm truck broke down
and we ran right into it. We were in a Dodge van with the battery behind
the seat, and I was laying on the seat and fell onto the battery post
which went thru my leg leaving a scar, Earl got cuts on his face from
the windshield, Lil Ervin got part of his ear torn off. Earls manager,
WLAC dj Hoss Allen sent a car to bring us on into Nashville from the hospital.
The band lived in a roominghouse while developing the show; Hoss processed
most of the band members hair to match Earls look. Our first gig
was in Murfeesboro, TN where we were booked at $100 each but most of these
gigs were actually paid by a percentage of the door and were
lucky to get $25. We proceeded to Birmingham,AL, Bellglade,FL, Macon,
GA and back to Nashville. Then on to Shreveport,LA, Dallas and Texarcana,TX,
Memphis, TN and back to Nashville. We had trouble getting paid by club
owners so Earl enlisted his brother to watch the door. In
Winterhaven, FL a rowdy crowd demanded country music and a guy shot a
hole in my amp when we told them we only played blues. Later, in Hotsprings,
AR the club owner refused to pay us after the show and also kicked us
out without our equipment even. The manager replaced the equipment and
we continued, then back to Nashville. When the bookings dried up the band
members moved back to Florida.
Anthony
Downing Holmes
Given
Name:
Born:
Died:
12-30-17
Anthony
Downing Holmes
Personal
Web Sites:
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Anthony
Downing Holmes inducted
into the Blues Hall of Fame ® as a Master Blues Artist 9-23-15