Blues Power is the sound of The Titus Gillard Band. It’s a raw, big sound born in the south and rooted in both the classic and the new, and one that has brought the band’s namesake from being a total newcomer on the scene just a few short years ago to being last year’s Covey Award winner for favorite Jazz/Blues/Funk band. This year, the Titus Gillard “Blues Power” Band will be kicking the Coveys off and are looking to leave their mark on the Hard Rock stage in a big way.
Titus is a skilled blues guitarist and singer with a rich, soulful voice and all the quick fingered chops to deliver songs from some of the greatest names in the genre. He started in music very young, getting into the piano at age 5 before finding his inspiration for the guitar at age 12 from great players and movies like Crossroads. He spent some time playing in churches, jamming with older seasoned musicians and learning the ropes. His skills kicked up when he attended and started performing at Northeast Mississippi Community College on a music scholarship. After college he took a long break from performing, but that quickly changed when he came to the coast.
“When I moved down here I looked for all kinds of opportunities, just any and everywhere someone would hear me play,” Titus said of his 2022 arrival on the coast. He took a job doing security at Ground Zero Blues Club in Biloxi, met some fellow musicians, and eventually found himself fronting the house band there at the venue. It’s a position he credits with helping him launch into performing across the coast and beyond.
Since forming a band and stepping out, Titus Gillard has spent the last couple of years playing regionally, hitting areas like New Orleans and Memphis regularly, throughout Alabama, all over Mississippi and into the Delta, and even stops farther out such as the Chicago Blues Festival, where Titus had the pleasure of meeting Buddy Guy at his venue. He describes his style and tone as leaning into contemporary blues, with some traditional blues and dashes of rock and roll, funk and R&B.
