Anthony Gomes fell in love with music growing up in Toronto, Canada. He was drawn to the raw sound of the blues and rock guitars as he listened to Muddy Waters, Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen and the King himself—B.B. King! The young man picked up an axe and sharpened his skills, and has not slowed down yet. He released his first album “Blues in Technicolor” in 1998, followed by 13 more albums and tours far and wide.
While attending college, he played local pubs. One evening, he was approached by a man who just happened to be B.B. King’s bus driver. The driver gave him tickets to a concert, and Gomes met his favorite guitar player after the show. He found himself touring with the King and later sharing the stage with Buddy Guy, Robert Plant, Joe Bonamassa, Johnny Lang, Heart and Sammy Hagar, just to name a few. Tours have taken him to 17 countries and audience members range from the kid down the street to Eric Clapton, John Goodman and Toby Keith.
“Music chooses you,” Gomes stated, “people are people, and there is nothing like seeing them put their differences aside and simply enjoy the music.”
Gomes wants to share the positive effects of music with everyone. In 2010, he founded Music Is The Medicine Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. The organization directly helps children with cancer, young adults with Autism and war veterans suffering with PTSD. By offering songwriting scholarships, providing musical education programs and donating instruments, the lives of the recipients are a little brighter. Organizations such as State Farm Insurance and CVS Pharmacy took notice of the effort and have helped with grants.
Anthony Gomes is not just another guitar player, he is also a musical scholar. While studying blues history in college, he earned the University of Toronto’s C.P. Stacey Award for the highest overall academic grade point average by a history major. He completed his master’s degree thesis on the racial and cultural evolution of blues music and graduated from Canada’s top university with high distinction.
The latest release, “High Voltage Blues” blends the soulful sounds of B.B. King with the hard rocking riffs of AC/DC that is sure to rock the house, or the car, and the Lyric Theater! Tickets are still available for the concert at TheLyric.org or by calling 870-391-3504.
Gomes states that he is a fan of Arkansas and the diverse geographical landscape of the state and is looking forward to the visit. His most recent rock and roll adventure put him in front of audiences in Lithuania and across the globe. Let’s make sure and give him a warm Ozark welcome when he takes the stage Saturday, Oct. 21, at the Lyric.
UPDATE: Everyone who buys a ticket in advance (including those who already have done so) will be entered into our drawing for this special collector's item—a $40 retail item that will immediately increase in value because there will only ever be 500 of them made! So, if your great-grandkids don't raise their kids right and a generation of your family springs up that doesn't value Blues Rock, at least they'll have some monetary gain from somebody else who recognizes the priceless treasure of good music. (But, we're hoping that doesn't happen to your family, but that your great-great-grands will have your portrait mounted right near the blue vinyl copy of their treasured music passed down from you.)
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