Lou Derr

Lou Derr-Artist/Singer-Songwriter I grew up in the S.F. Bay area, where a lot of great music came from. That is where my roots are. Listening to Haggard, Cash and then growing up in the 60's and 70's, At the early age of 14, I stepped up onto my first stage to sing for a radio show that was live every Sunday from a local bar. Some of the great County guys were there including Red Barns on fiddle. They would not let me play guitar, I could only hold it as a prop. I sang "Corina Corina", a Mer...

Lou Derr-Artist/Singer-Songwriter I grew up in the S.F. Bay area, where a lot of great music came from. That is where my roots are. Listening to Haggard, Cash and then growing up in the 60's and 70's, At the early age of 14, I stepped up onto my first stage to sing for a radio show that was live every Sunday from a local bar. Some of the great County guys were there including Red Barns on fiddle. They would not let me play guitar, I could only hold it as a prop. I sang "Corina Corina", a Merle Haggard tune. The applause was great and that's what hooked me into playing and performing live for the next almost 40+ years. I worked and hung out at "The Factory" with CCR in the late 60's and early 70's, through the CCR breakup. I also played in my own band in many of the local clubs including the Keystone-Berkeley and The Long Branch Saloon; oh I can't forget "Jerry's Stop Sign". (That's where I met Eddie Mahoney you know him as Eddie Money) but that's another story. (It was his first night on the west coast). My first paying gig was a Pacbell Christmas party. My Mom worked for them and booked us. We made 50 bucks each. That was bug bucks in 1971. I hung out with Tom Fogerty, Doug "Cosmo" Clifford, played basketball everyday with John Fogerty at Albany High, it was pretty neat. (Those were the good ole days of music) Doug actually turned me on to Dark Beer (not a band name) one night during a Flying Burrito Bros. concert at the Long Branch. I guess I have a rock influence in my writing although I am mostly Country at heart. I can write a rock tune just as easy as a Country song. It comes from growing up listening to both. I have taken my band members all over the place performing night clubs, opening for headliners, winning contests, basically everything you can do to self promote your music. We even went on a DOD tour that took us across the US out into the middle of the Atlantic up to Greenland into Canada all in 14 days. I think we were on 17 flights in 16 days or something like that. Ah...now the internet, what a great place to show off your stuff. I love it. Hope you like my songs, Lou Derr and Bootleg. You can check us out on Facebook, Reverbnation, Myspace, all the usual music sites. You can also Google, Lou Derr and Bootleg. I have a wonderful family that I love so much. My wife is my best friend. It has been quite a ride. I am still waiting to become an overnight success. I can say after 40 years of performing I have managed to keep my wits and I still love to get out there and play and I am still looking for that break. It takes money and backers in the music business. All I have is the music that is in me. I am writing new songs and hope to get them out there for everyone to hear. I am the only one to play in my family except for my 11yr old son James; he is taking a liking to the drums and guitar, same as me. And so we start again….music never dies….Enjoy the Ride.