Ed Deane
Born in Dublin, Ed started playing acoustic blues and slide guitar while still at school. His repertoire at the time drew mainly from the Delta blues of Son House, Robert Johnson and Skip James. At 16 he formed the band Blueshouse. They played alongside all the visiting bluesmen of that time such as Arthur ‘Big Boy’ Crudup, Fred McDowell, ‘Champion’ Jack Dupree, Johnny Shines, Juke Boy Bonner etc.
He played with Granny’s Intentions in London for a period and then Terry and Gay Woods as guitarist with the Woods Band, touring Europe and recording one album in 1971 - 'The Woods Band'. He
replaced Gary Moore in Skid Row before joining Bees Make Honey and cutting an album with them, produced by Nick Lowe.
He then spent four years in France, mainly in Paris working with the Band ‘Il Barritz’ and doing writing and session work.
Returning to London, Ed recorded with Graham Parker and The Rumour, The Fallen Angels (Pretty Things) and co-founded Juice on the Loose with Ron Kavana and Geraint Watkins. Juice toured Germany as the backing band for Alexis Korner and Chris Farlowe. They also gigged extensively and recorded an album for Ace records.
Ed was asked to join Frankie Miller with whom he recorded and toured Europe, the UK and America.
Later, Ed appeared in the Mike Figgis move ‘Stormy Sunday’, which featured Tommy Lee Jones, Sting and Melanie Griffith. He contributed substantially to the soundtrack and was the only featured guitarist apart from B.B. King.
Ed has also played on the soundtracks of the films ‘Leaving Las Vegas’ and ‘Serendipity’, which starred John Cusack.
Ed spent much of the 90s working with the blues diva Dana Gillespie, recording several albums with her. During this period Dana was voted “best British female blues singer”, before being installed in the Hall of Fame.
Ed also worked, recorded and toured with Dave Kelly. At this time he was also doing recordings and gigs with R&B artists such as Shuggy Otis, Sonny Rhode, Larry Johnson, Lowell Fulson, Richard Berry (writer and composer of ‘Louie Louie’, the most recorded R&B song ever) Big Jay McNeely and George ‘Wild Child’ Butler. He toured Germany with Paul Jones and the Blues Band, and then the UK, Europe and India with Dana Gillespie. He appeared with Dana at the prestigious Mustique Blues Festival in the Caribbean. Ed also played with Dana as Bob Dylan’s opening act on the English leg of Dylan’s ’98 tour.
Ed has recorded and played live gigs with Shane McGowan, and recorded with Chris and Mick Jagger on a tribute album to Cyril Davies. He has worked with Chris on two of the latter’s solo albums, and toured America, Europe and India.
In recent years Ed has recorded on two albums with Bap Kennedy, the Belfast songwriter. The second of these, ‘The Big Picture’, was recorded in Van Morrison’s studio. He has toured extensively with Bap, and together they have toured with Van Morrison, both as members of a band and as a duo.
Before returning to live in Ireland, Ed toured America, the UK and Europe with Nick Lowe. The great songwriting team of Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham were on the same tour.
In summer 2005 he played the Castlebar Blues Festival with his own band, performing guitar and lead vocals, and has recorded an album of instrumental music, titled ‘Slideshow’ released on the Blue Navigator label, 31st March 2006. He is enjoying his old role as frontman again.
