L to R: Bret Littlehales, Matt Kelley, Robby Leebrick, Steve “Wolf” Crescenze

Most people (I’d like to say all!) that know me personally that my father is a blues musician.  He’s been a blues musician since his early teens and is a phenomenal singer and harmonica player.  He also has an incredible knowledge of blues and jazz music, and writes a great music blog that is constantly teaching me new things, entitled Little by Little(hales).

Like his father, my father is also a photographer.  For my whole life when people have asked me what he does, I say he’s a photographer and a musician– despite the fact that photography has been his bread and butter and music has been the outlet he does because he probably would wither away if someone stopped him.  My father has been an incredible influence in my life.  He showed me Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald and Chet Baker when I was fourteen and changed everything.  When I wrote my first song at the age of thirteen (I knew nothing about music, and picked out chords on the piano by ear) he told me honestly that it wasn’t  a great song, but it was a great first song.  I like to think that he and my mom have always been completely honest and (mostly) unbiased about my abilities with music, and that this is a big part of who I am today.   In the 11th grade I was heartbroken and jealous when I didn’t get Adelaide in my high school’s production of Guys and Dolls.  My dad watched the show and said, “I hate to say it, but I don’t think you would have played her better.”  This wasn’t an insult; it was the truth, and I faced it.  He was never, ever hard on me, but he wanted me to know that it wouldn’t be easy; it being the pursuit of my desire to make music.

For many years I watched my father make sacrifices to play music.  He had a great band, but often played to an empty room.  Though music brought him joy, aspects of it began to cause him stress and mild hardship.  It wasn’t until this last year that things began to really turn around.  His band dispersed and was reformed, and with the persistent promotion efforts of his bassist Steve and Steve’s lady, Connie, they have gained gigs and popularity.  They represented Washington DC in Memphis, as DC’s Best Blues Band, at the International Blues Challenge.  They made it to the top 11 finalists (out of 110 bands that made it, from 14 countries, I believe) and guitarist Matt Kelley won a best guitarist award.  Talk about coming home as champions.

I am so proud of my dad.  At 58, and he never, ever gave up.  I hope that in 34 years I can look back on my life and say the same thing.

photo by Bret Littlehales

Big Boy Little Band

• Bret Littlehales- vox, harmonica and songwriting
• Matt Kelley- Guitar
• Robby Leebrick- drums
• Steve “Wolf” Crescenze- bass (and booking!)

http://www.myspace.com/bigboylittleband