Steven Seagal

These days it seems to be harder to find someone who doesn’t play the guitar than someone who does, especially in Hollywood. So when the title blues guitarist came up next to martial arts movie star Steven Seagal’s name, the proverbial red warning flag went flying up the pole.
Surely this must be some sort of publicity stunt. After all some Hollywoodites between films or when the career slows pull out the guitar and hit the road using their name as a draw to the concert venue (Kevin Bacon, Keanu Reeves and Russell Crowe all have bands). Seagal certainly must be looking for another way to boost the old ego. What better way then to waltz around the stage in front of thousands of fans pretending to be a rock star or blues man? After all, others have done it. Heck, even journalists and authors have tried their hand at it.
But at the end of the day they all return to their day jobs. Celebrity status is not an automatic authenticator when is comes to the music stage. Even the best actors can’t fool the music public.
So when Steven Seagal comes to the Soaring Eagle Casino in Mt. Pleasant on June 16th who should go? Does just the fan of Seagal’s movie career show up or does the connoisseur of the blues make an appearance?
Both.

STILL IN DEMAND
Seagal is not some washed-up-at-the-box-office star (he has several films slated to be released soon) and in fact, is still in demand on the big screen. He is also becoming in demand on the blues circuit.
But is he a blues man? Only the King of the Blues is capable of answering this.
“Yes Steven Seagal is a blues man,” said B.B. King. “ A darn good one too. He is welcome on the stage with me any time.”
King isn’t the only one on the blues circuit singing Seagal’s praises: legends from several generations of the blues world have jammed with Seagal, who is currently touring in support of his recent release “Mojo Priest.”
Seagal remains modest about it all.
“I am just a simple blues guitar player who has an appreciation for the blues. It isn’t how many notes you can play, it is the respect you have for the music that counts,” said Seagal. “I am fortunate to have played with guys like B.B. and Gatemouth Brown and many others. They have taught me a lot and have showed me much love.”

ROOTS
Seagal was born in Lansing 55 years ago. At an early age his family moved to Detroit and it was there he picked up his first guitar and learned from the blues masters.
“All these southern blues musicians moved to Detroit to work on the assembly line. These guys are the best blues men that no one has ever heard of. They played on their front porches or local juke joints but the factory dollar offered a secure paycheck so they stayed off the circuit,” said Seagal. “I would sit on the porch with them for hours soaking it all up. Those early lessons have stayed with me forever.”
Eventually Seagal would make his way to Texas where he had family. In the 1960s he met up with legends Lightning Hopkins and Gatemouth Brown who took Seagal under their wing.
“Those guys were great and later on Gatemouth and I had become good friends. He would often stay with me when he was in California. He recently passed away it was a great loss to me personally and certainly a tremendous loss to the music world.”

MARTIAL ARTS
While Seagal had visions of becoming a professional musician he also had developed a passion for the martial arts. In the 1970s he moved to Japan to advance his training in akido. He returned and set up a studio in California where he began teaching akido to Hollywood’s elite (he even broke Sean Connery’s wrist while training Connery in the martial arts for the filming of the 1983 Bond film “Never Say Never Again”).
In the mid-’80s Hollywood power broker Michael Ovitz saw star value in Seagal as high-octane action films were dominating at the office. “Above the Law,” and “Hard to Kill,” his first two action-thrillers were instant box office hits. In 1992 he received top billing in the critically acclaimed film “Under Siege” that also starred Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey and received “Two Thumbs Up” from Rogers & Ebert. 
Seagal continues to succeed at the box office. He has recently finished a couple of action thrillers and is scheduled to bring back his popular character Casey Ryback in “Under Siege 3: Plane Danger” scheduled for release in 2007. But Seagal is most interested in talking about a film he will start shooting in July after he finishes his tour.
BLUES FILM
“I am working on a film that will feature several blues legends,” said Seagal. “It will be the most authentic blues movie made to date. It will feature several blues legends including Hubert Sumlin (Howlin’ Wolf’s guitar player) who will play my surrogate father. It is based on a true story of a man who falsified records and took lands away from many including southern blues players. It will be filmed in New Orleans; that community needs a lift.”
After the filming Seagal will return to the blues circuit. His band is loaded with blues cats from Memphis, and Chicago guitar-great Bernard Allison (son of the legendary Luther Allison) will play second guitar with the band.
Seagal has silenced early critics who expressed suspicion over his abilities. He has wowwed fans with both his authentic Texas finger picking and his vocal abilities. He has found success on the concert stage. He says the response has been great and hecklers and naysayers have been non-existent at his shows.
Imagine though going to a Steven Seagal concert and booing or yelling out “you suck.” Certainly concertgoers realize the possibility that Seagal would jump off the stage and kick their ass if such comments were made.
“No, no nothing like that,” chuckles Seagal. “It all has been good.”
His CD “Mojo Priest” proves that Seagal has the goods and is capable of delivering a bona fide blues performance

GUITAR COLLECTOR
He posses one of the greatest collection of vintage guitars which includes more than 400 guitars, many belonging to several guitar greats including Jimi Hendrix. Seagal has received many of them as gifts. After a legend passed away he has received calls from the wives saying they had a guitar for him.
“A lot of my guitars have been gifts. Back in the day when you jammed with someone it was customary to exchange guitars,” said Seagal.
Seagal has written close to 200 songs but will feature an array of originals and blues standards for his Mt. Pleasant show. He has only been back to Michigan once since moving away 40 years ago and wonders in a joking way if anyone from the old neighborhood remembers him. 
Probably not, but Seagal remembers the lessons he learned back in the day from his old neighborhood. He will pay tribute to those old neighbors, many of who, have since passed on but spirits live through Seagal, Friday June 16 at the Soaring Eagle Casino in Mt. Pleasant. For tickets and further information: www.soaringeaglecasino.com or call the box office at (800) 585-3737.
 
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