Dean SHot with Ronnie Earl

Dean SHot with Ronnie Earl at the Blues Onset Festival
Photo Courtesy of  Tom Hazeltine

written by Dean Shot
Ronnie Earl is one of the nicest people I have ever met...he is a sincere and deep cat. He welcomed me with open arms after hearing me play with a band that played before him at a blues festival. We had never met before..and he asked me to join his band halfway through his set..and I played the rest of his show with him

He told me that I kicked his ass and made him really work harder than he would have if I wasnt there...(all just his way of encouraging me) and then he spent a couple hours after the show hanging with me...getting to know me..and giving me more words of wisdom and encouragement about my playing and being a musician.

Ronnie Earl had been sober for years and against playing in bars...but he then astounded even his agent...and accompanied me to an after hours jam in a nearby bar..where we jammed together for a couple more hours....an AMAZING night!

he told me I was an encyclopedia of blues guitar...one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me. And he really encouraged me to be myself and believe in my own talents. And coming from him...one of my favorite players..and a cat who has seen it all...that meant to world to me!