6th Street Blues
The Chattanooga teen blues band, 6th Street Blues, has been selected to represent the Smokey Mountain Blues Society at the International Blues Challenge.
6th Street Blues is made up of John Hooper (16, Heritage High School, bass), Aaron Carney (17, home schooled, guitar), Chelsea Ketchersid (16, Heritage High School, vocals), and Roland Pullen (15, Heritage High School, drums). They will perform on Friday, Feb. 3, in Memphis for the IBC Youth Showcase event.
This will be the second year in a row that 6th Street has earned a spot to perform among some of the best youth (under 21) bands in the country.
Review for 6th Street Blues:
There’s just no telling where music will take you. That’s what a young group of blues artists recently discovered in Chattanooga. These four young creatives found each other through a passion for music and discovered they could make a sound all their own. In doing so, they found a kindred spirit in old blues masters who provided a platform for the young artists to learn the art and to express their own creativity.
6th Street Blues began when John Hooper and Aaron Carney met and began to play together and explore the Blues genre. They quickly realized they had found a niche, so in 2015 John encouraged friend and drummer, Roland Pullen, to join their jam sessions. After their first performance it became obvious that they had something special and it was time to find a permanent singer.
Chelsea Ketchersid was a friend and classmate of John and Roland and had a gift for the dramatic and love of music. She quickly stepped in in November of 2015 and a short two months later, 6th Street Blues found themselves at the home of the Blues, Beale Street, in Memphis. 6th Street made their International Blues Challenge debut in 2016 in the Youth Showcase at the Blues City Cafe.
Aaron Carney, 17, and lead guitarist, started playing guitar only two years ago and is virtually limitless in his improvisational skills. He recently honed those skills at the Pinetop Perkins
Workshop in Clarksdale, Ms.
John Hooper, 16, and bass guitarist has been playing the bass for four years. He’s the steady foundation that gives the band room to create. When John isn’t plugged into his bass guitar, he can be found plucking away on a stand up bass or finding the beat on the bass drum.
Roland Pullen, 15, and drummer got his first set of drums when he was eight-years-old and hasn’t
put his sticks down since. His natural talent to find any beat and add a unique riff makes his passion evident.
Chelsea Ketchersid, 16, and lead vocals is fearless and loves exploring all genres of music. Her charismatic stage presence draws in audiences and doesn’t let them go. Chelsea also lends her considerable talents to the occasional 6th Street ukelele break.
For more information about The International Blues Challenge, go to www.blues.org. For more information about 6th Street Blues Band, find them on Facebook @6thStreetBlues.