December catch-up: Jungle Show returns; Wicked Lo-Down gets hot

The year is winding down, but there is still plenty going on of interest to fans of The Red Devils Expanded Musical Universe.

The two surprising early Memphis heroes behind “King King” openers

Joe Hill Louis and Willie Nix may not be famous pillars of Sun Records, but their songs were proto-versions of “Automatic” and “Goin’ to the Church,” respectively, some 40 years earlier. A deep dive into the Memphis influence on “King King.” #KingKingXXX

Billy Boy Arnold’s beat powered ‘King King’ and beyond

Billy Boy Arnold is one of the foundational influences for The Red Devils. A deep dive into “King King” shows that influence beyond one cover song. #KingKingXXX

King Ernest rides with Lester Butler on 1997’s ‘Black Bag Blues’

Lester Butler contributed the song “Black Bag Blues,” and his distinctive harmonica playing, to California soul singer King Ernest’s 1997 release “King of Hearts.”

The legend of the Kid Ramos/Lester Butler ‘hard-edge blues unit’ Snake Snake

“My idea was … a raw, hard-edge blues unit,” Kid Ramos tells nofightin.com about 1997’s mythical supergroup Snake Snake, fronted by Lester Butler.

ZZ Top’s Dusty Hill, 1949-2021

Dusty Hill, the man who held down bass guitar duties and lent his unmistakable vocals to hits such as “Tush,” “Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers” and “Heard It on the X,” died Wednesday, July 28, 2021. He was 72. He had been off the road for a short while, with ZZ’s guitar tech Elwood FrancisContinue reading “ZZ Top’s Dusty Hill, 1949-2021”