We know Mississippi does the blues like nobody else. It’s a part of the state’s identity that stretches all the way back to the very beginnings of recorded music. Decades of songs, unique stories of good times and hard times that influenced generations and led to the state’s claim as the “Birthplace of America’s Music.”
Brian Ballou is a new part of that lineage. Picking a six string in the shade of his signature wide brimmed hat, the Brandon native is infusing that classic sound with a fresh new life for regional audiences.
“A huge part of my experience comes from learning the styles of those before me,” Ballou says. He grabbed his first guitar at a young age: a blue and white Fender Squier inspired by John Mayer, and has remained a fan of the brand that has been part of the sound of so many blues greats. B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Muddy Waters and more are all counted among Ballou’s personal inspirations. Decades of classic rock, blues, soul and Motown come together into his repertoire.
A relatable and entertaining showman, Brian built up his guitar chops, took to the microphone and began gigging both as a solo artist and with his full band Ballou and the Bears.
