Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo

Career

Aaron began his musical career at 17 years old as the lead guitarist for the Cadillac Joe Band. As part of this group, Aaron enjoyed the pleasure of opening for such renowned artists as Coco Montoya, Taj Mahal, Leon Russell, Canned Heat, Carey Bell, and Jimmy Thackery, who promptly dubbed Aaron “The Brat with the Strat” because of his prowess with guitar and his affinity for Fender guitars. Eric Shackelford has played drums since the age of 11. Majoring in music and religion in college, Eric held the position of drum chair with the Iowa All-Star Jazz Band and had the pleasure of sharing the stage with jazz great Ignacio Berroa. Eric has pushed himself to play all styles of music, including adding New Orleans funk to his style, making him a great addition to a blues rock power trio like Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo. Z has been playing bass for 12 years. Immediately prior to joining the Hoodoo, Z studied and performed classical guitar. Z’s various disciplines allow him to add yet another element to the blues/rock sound of Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo.

The band’s first full-length CD “It Ain’t Easy” was named Blues/Rock Album of the Year by Real Blues magazine. For the first time in the band’s short history, they were nominated for six Madison Area Music Awards and took home five, including the highly coveted Artist of the Year. 2010 marked the first year that a panel of music experts cast the deciding vote and the first time Artist of the Year was awarded to a blues-based band. The band won Blues Artist of the Year in 2011. They were also twice-nominated for Blues Artist of the Year by the Wisconsin Area Music Industry. Aaron was honored in 2011 by an appearance in Madison magazine and the cover of Americana Gazette.

The Band's 2011 release of "10:49" helped the band break into radio on a much larger scale. The CD currently spins on several radio stations across the country and internationally and has earned the band several impressive reviews. The band has appeared on various radio shows and television across the county and was recently honored by inclusion on the first-round ballot for the 2012 Grammys in the Best New Artist and Blues Album of the Year categories. In addition to Madison magazine, Americana Gazette, and Elmore magazine, the band has been featured in The Daily Times, The Scene, PJ Star, The Isthmus, and The South Bend Tribune. As a group, Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo have supported Walter Trout, Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam; Zoso, the Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience; Jonny Lang; Los Lonely Boys; and Jonathan Tyler and Northern Lights.

Formation

Around the time that the Cadillac Joe Band began to wind down, Aaron had decided what he wanted to do with his life—play music. Hosting a blues jam at the now defunct Cuda Café in Madison, WI, Aaron began to seriously eye the players to find members to create his band. Aaron tells the story: “These two guys kept showing up, so I knew it was right.” Originally began as a four piece with a sax player, Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo settled easily into the blues/rock power trio known today for their pulsing grooves, Aaron’s thick-tongued baritone, and an innate ability to entertain audiences from all walks of life. Currently touring the Midwest region, parts of the South, and parts of the Northeast, Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo continue to make their name known on the indie music circuit.

Discography

It Ain't Easy (2009)

10:49 (2011)