Catch him quick!

Published on 24th April 2008 in Ents

Louisiana-born double Blues Music Award nominee Eugene 'Hideaway' Bridges returns to Selby Town Hall two years after his first visit - and this time he's got a band in tow.

Born in 1963 to a father best known as legendary blues guitarist Hideaway Slim, and a mother who counted Tina Turner among her family, Eugene bills himself as a nomadic musician. And he's not joking - on his last visit, the multi-talented blues star flew in from Perth, Australia, before leaving for Slovenia the following morning!

At the age of five, Eugene was already performing with his father and by 13 had formed his first R&B band, The Five Stars, whose audiences began comparing Eugene to his hero Sam Cooke.

After leaving the airforce at 19 and playing in a host of bands across the USA, Eugene was spotted by BB King's bassist, Big Joe Turner.

He finally began recording as a solo artist in his own right and performed live, to great acclaim, all across the world - even winning the title of Vocalist Of The Year in Blueprint magazine for his 1998 debut album Born To Be Blue.

Since then, Eugene has developed into one of the most sought after artists in the blues world, with his latest self titled album notching up two nominations in the highly regarded Blues Music Awards.

With a style compared to that of BB King and Robert Cray, he is a man blessed with a level of talent and craftsmanship far beyond his years and one who may just hold the key to the future of blues.

Chris Jones, Town Council arts officer, said: "Eugene is a quite extraordinary performer.

"He is incredibly versatile as a fine songwriter, guitarist and vocalist and also unbelievably well travelled!

"This guy really does live for the next show and his performances show it. Don't miss this opportunity to pin him down!"

Tickets for the May 2 performance are £8 in advance or £10 on the door and are available now by calling 01757 213758, or go to www.selbytownhall.co.uk for more information.