New Orleans musician Kevin Gullage, bandleader of Kevin & The Blues Groovers, will appear on ABC’s American Idol on Sunday, March 20, auditioning for judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan. The 22-year old piano player grew up in the New Orleans area, and is a graduate of the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) and Loyola University New Orleans. American Idol airs at 7 PM on ABC.
To celebrate this momentous occasion, a watch party will be held at Mariano’s Italian Eatery, 12287 Hwy. 90 in Luling, Louisiana. Mariano’s is where Gullage got his start performing as a teenager. The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. Kevin Gullage will have a small performance, and the viewing of the episode will begin at 7 p.m.
At 22-years old, Gullage leads his band of veteran players, The Blues Groovers, with the poise of a seasoned performer. His impressive blend of soulful singing and dazzling blues piano infused with the experience of his bandmates is leaving audiences in awe. The Blues Groovers consist of bassist Tony Gullage (Henry Butler, Dr. John), Hammond B3 player Brandon Adams (Kenny Neal), guitarist Carlton Ross (Glenn David Andrews), saxophonist Roderick Jackson (Kenny Neal), and drummer Mac Carter (Jon Cleary).
Born into a musical family in New Orleans, Gullage showed prodigious signs of musical talent and followed in his father’s footsteps, embracing his passion for music as an instrumentalist, singer and writer. Growing up interacting with artists such as Henry Butler, Gary Brown, Carol Fran and others in the New Orleans music scene influenced the development of Gullage’s musicianship and style from a young age. He began his career as a multi-instrumentalist but eventually turned his musical focus to piano. His passion for piano would lead him to study music at the prestigious New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, The Louis Armstrong Jazz Camp (whose alumni include Jon Batiste, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews and “Big Sam” Williams) and later Loyola University New Orleans.
At age 18, Gullage was selected as the pianist for the 2017 Thelonious Monk All-Star Sextet, performing alongside jazz legend Bobby Watson. The same year, he was invited to perform with the multi-Grammy winning band Blues Traveler at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Kevin has appeared in several movies including The Last Laugh starring Chevy Chase and Burning Cane starring Wendell Pierce. His voice was also featured in the 2019 release of Disney’s Lady & The Tramp.
In 2019, Kevin & the Blues Groovers became a resident artist at B.B. King’s Blues Club in the French Quarter. With a resounding demand from their growing fan base, Gullage recorded his first EP entitled Blues for the City.
Gullage signed with the Grammy-winning record label Basin Street Records in early 2022. The New Orleans-based powerhouse label is slated to release Kevin & The Blues Groovers first full-length LP, Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed Blues, in the spring of 2022.
While the Covid-19 pandemic has halted Kevin & The Blues Groovers tenure at B.B. King’s Blues Club, Kevin Gullage has forged ahead with his performing career, and will spend much of 2022 as a featured performer for Disney Cruise Lines.
Watch a video of Kevin Gullage and the Blues Groovers from OffBeat‘s OnBeat Sessions:
