Duke Tumatoe

Duke Tumatoe, born William “Bill" Severen Fiorio in 1947, is an American blues guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. He has performed with Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, B.B. King, Willie Dixon, Buddy Guy, John Fogerty and George Thorogood. He was an early member of REO Speedwagon, a group that later became an arena-rock success.

REO Speedwagon In 1967, while living in Champaign, Illinois, Tumatoe joined REO Speedwagon in their nascent stages, replacing Bob Crownover, alongside founding members Neal Doughty and Alan Gratzer. The band started as a soul band, inspired by Otis Redding, Sam and Dave and The Doors. In 1969, the band decided to take a more straightforward approach to rock and roll, so Tumatoe, who wanted to play blues music, left the group to pursue his own musical endeavors.

Duke Tumatoe and The All-Star Frogs In 1969, Tumatoe founded Duke Tumatoe and The All-Star Frogs. The band featured guitar, bass, drums, harmonica and keyboards. They toured for thirteen years and released four albums (see discogs). Hill continues to play with Tumatoe through the present day.

Duke Tumatoe and The Power Trio In 1983, Tumatoe disbanded The All-Star Frogs and formed The Power Trio. The new group consisted of guitar, bass, drums and keys, though certain lineup changes featured two guitarists and no keys. The Power Trio performed an average of 200 dates per year, In Mishawaka, Indiana, Fogerty heard a radio advertisement for Duke Tumatoe. He attended the show that evening and was so impressed he returned on four consecutive evenings. "The first time I heard Duke it gave me chills," said Fogerty:

I hadn't experienced energy like that in a long time. It was like walking in on Jimmy Swaggart in his heyday. Everybody in the audience was shouting and screaming and having a good time. I mean the crowd was just eating out of this guy's hand. Immediately the light went on in my head—somebody ought to record these guys. Determined to capture the live energy of the band, Fogerty assembled over 24 hours of live recordings before beginning the mixing process. Fogerty and engineer Alan Johnson spent three months mixing the record.

Tumatoe performed the songs weekly on air, and though they were a hit with fans, some of the players and coaches took umbrage to his lyrics, especially when Tumatoe couldn't resist taking a dig. On a few different occasions, Tumatoe barely avoided physical altercations initiated by drunken quarterbacks or angry coaches. Says Tumatoe, “I think people miss a basic thing about the blues, and I don’t understand why they don’t get it. Blues is a light-hearted music. They’re stories that make fun of what goes on in your life. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a football fan. I enjoy these games. I watch them all. But the premise of all these guys getting millions and millions of dollars to play a kids’ game is in and of itself not serious. It's a cause to celebrate when they're winning, but it really doesn't affect your life other than it's nice when your team is doing well. And these guys are getting millions of dollars, and these guys are bitching about it when you criticize their performance? I didn't really criticize their performance. I just made it rhyme."

Musical style Tumatoe is a self-taught guitarist who learned to play by watching Chicago’s blues legends. His guitar playing has been described as “B.B. King played through Jimi Hendrix (with a touch of Andy Gill).”

Tumatoe’s songs are noted for their humor, something he explains as, "There are two elements of the blues. There's the general intensity of the music…and an element of humor, some twist in the lyrics. It's like a comedian turning something sad into something funny."

Gear Tumatoe's primary guitar is a 1957 Gibson Les Paul Jr. named “Albert,” an homage to Albert King, a blues legend with whom Tumatoe has performed.

Personal life Tumatoe has been married for 33 years and has six grown children. Says Tumatoe, “I’ve had a great life. If you get a chance the next time around, pick Duke Tumatoe. It’s a lot of fun."

Discography Red Pepper Hot (Duke Tumatoe and the All-Star Frogs, 1976) Naughty Child (Duke Tumatoe and the All-Star Frogs, 1980) Back to Chicago (Duke Tumatoe and the All-Star Frogs, 1982) Dukes Up (1986) I Like My Job (live album produced by John Fogerty, 1988) Dr. Duke (1992) Wild Animals (1994) Greatest Hits Plus (1996) Picks & Sticks (instrumental, 1997) A Ejukatid Man (1999) Pompous and Overrated (2001) It's Christmas (Let's Have Sex) (2001) Big Bang (2002) You've Got The Problem (2006) I Just Want to be Rich (2010) How Much Crazy Can You Take (2017)