Tinsley Ellis

Biography His love for electric blues grew by listening to British Invasion bands such as the Yardbirds, the Animals, Cream, and the Rolling Stones. Inspired by a live appearance by B.B. King, where King broke a guitar string and gave it to a 15-year-old Ellis—which he claims to still have in his possession to this day—he was determined to become a blues guitarist. In 1975, he played with the Haygood Band while attending Emory University near Atlanta. Two years later, already an accomplished musician, he returned to Atlanta and joined his first professional blues band, the Alley Cats, a group that included Preston Hubbard (later of the Fabulous Thunderbirds). The group recorded three albums for the small Landslide record label, one with the singer, Nappy Brown before breaking up in 1988. Alligator then reissued two earlier albums, Cool On It and Tore Up (on which the Heartfixers backed Nappy Brown). Ellis' next four releases were Fanning the Flames (1989), Trouble Time (1992), Storm Warning (1994), and Fire It Up (1997). In 2017, Ellis launched a new side project called Tinsley Ellis Blues Is Dead, in which he performs the blues and R&B songs recorded by Grateful Dead and other Fillmore era acts.

Commenting on Ellis's album, Ice Cream in Hell, AllMusic stated "On Ice Cream in Hell, Ellis' songwriting and singing finally match the prowess in his playing, and we are all richer for it." During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ellis was "determined to grow as a songwriter," according to AllMusic; he is stated to have written 200 songs in just a year and a half. The resulting album, Devil May Care, released in January 2022, was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews.

Ellis announced the pending release of a new album, Naked Truth, in November 2023, after a series of well-received acoustic shows throughout the year. The album, which was also his first composed entirely of acoustic music, was released on February 9, 2024. Ellis released a single, "Devil In The Room", after making the announcement.

Discography

1982: Featuring Chicago Bob Nelson (Southland SLP-12 - with The Heartfixers) 1983: Live At The Moonshadow (Landslide LD-1007 - with The Heartfixers) 1984: Tore Up (Landslide LD-1008 - with Nappy Brown and The Heartfixers) 1986: Cool on It (Landslide LNLP1010 - with The Heartfixers) 1988: Georgia Blue (Alligator ALCD4765) 1989: Fanning The Flames (Alligator ALCD4778) 1992: Trouble Time (Alligator ALCD4805) 1994: Storm Warning (Alligator ALCD4823) 1997: Fire It Up (Alligator ALCD4852) 2000: Kingpin (Capricorn 314 546 215-2) 2002: Hell Or High Water (Telarc Blues CD-53531) 2004: The Hard Way (Telarc Blues CD-63608) 2005: Live – Highwayman (Alligator ALCD4904) 2007: Moment Of Truth (Alligator ALCD4916) 2009: Speak No Evil (Alligator ALCD4932) 2013: Get It! (Heartfixer Music HFM1010) 2014: Midnight Blue (Heartfixer Music HFM1011) 2015: Tough Love (Heartfixer Music HFM1012) 2016: Red Clay Soul (Heartfixer Music HFM1013) 2018: Winning Hand (Alligator ALCD4979) 2020: Ice Cream In Hell (Alligator ALCD4997) 2022: Devil May Care (Alligator ALCD5008) 2024: Naked Truth (Alligator ALCD5017) 2026: Labor Of Love (Alligator ALCD5031)

Compilations 1996 – A Celebration of Blues: The New Breed (St. Clair CBL25152)