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Catfish Keith

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Catfish Keith
Pickin' tent MerleFest 2011
Background information
Birth nameKeith Daniel Kozacik[1]
Born (1962-02-09) February 9, 1962 (age 62)[1]
East Chicago, Indiana, United States
GenresBlues[2]
Occupation(s)Singer, guitarist, songwriter
InstrumentSteel guitar
Years active1980s–present
LabelsFish Tail Records, various
Websitecatfishkeith.com

Catfish Keith (born February 9, 1962)[1] is an American acoustic blues singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as an exponent of the resonator guitar. He has released several solo albums, including 2001's A Fist Full of Riffs.[3]

The Guardian described him as "a solo revelation" who was "breaking new ground for blues.[2] Twice a Blues Music Award nominee for 'Best Acoustic Blues Album', he has had ten number one independent radio chart hit albums.[4]

Early life and career

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Catfish Keith was born Keith Daniel Kozacik in East Chicago, Indiana, and was first inspired by blues music he heard on the radio. These included songs by Buddy Guy, Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters, although by the time he owned a guitar in his teenage years, he listened mostly to Son House. He attended high school in Davenport, Iowa, before setting out across the United States and beyond learning to sing and play his brand of the blues. He traveled to the Caribbean, where his musical education benefited from hearing Joseph Spence.[2]

His stage name originated from a diving partner in the Virgin Islands who, having seen his efforts at swimming, nicknamed him "Catfish-Swimmin'-Around," and "Catfish-Steel-Guitar-Man."[5] Catfish Keith had his debut album, Catfish Blues (1984), released by Kicking Mule Records. He continued to tour constantly and picked up playing tips from watching Jessie Mae Hemphill, Henry Townsend, Johnny Shines and David "Honeyboy" Edwards.[2]

Keith married in 1988 and founded his own record label, Fish Tail Records. 1991's Pepper in My Shoe sparked global interest in his work, and he toured both Europe and the United States. He appeared on the cover pages of the publications Blues Life, Blueprint, Block and The Guardian, and his follow-up effort, Jitterbug Swing was nominated for a Blues Music Award. Further acclaim was afforded by the British magazine, Blues Connection, who named him "the new slide king of the National steel guitar."[2]

Cherry Ball (1993) saw Dirty Linen's James Jensen state "Catfish will give you goose bumps and leave you howling for more!" A further Blues Music Award nomination was generated by the release of Fresh Catfish in 1995.[2]

After Twist It Babe!, his next release was Pony Run (1999).[2] Sweet Pea (2005) was praised by Living Blues who opined "the guitar playing is surely the main attraction here, and "Blotted Out My Mind" alone earns Catfish comparison to Frank Hovington, Elizabeth Cotten, and other virtuoso six-stringers."[6]

In 2008, Keith was inducted into the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame.[7][8]

He is an endorser of National Reso-Phonic Guitars.[7] Catfish Keith has issued an instructional DVD entitled Dynamic Country Blues Guitar.[9][10]

In 2019, his album, Reefer Hound: Viper Songs Revisited, won acoustic album of the year honors at the Blues Blast Music Awards.[11]

Discography

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Year Title Record label
1984 Catfish Blues Kicking Mule Records
1991 Pepper in My Shoe Orchard Records
1992 Jitterbug Swing Orchard Records
1993 Cherry Ball Fish Tail Records
1995 Fresh Catfish Orchard Records
1997 Twist It Babe! Orchard Records
1999 Pony Run Orchard Records
2001 A Fist Full of Riffs Solid Air Records
2003 Rolling Sea Fish Tail Records
2005 Sweet Pea Fish Tail Records
2007 If I Could Holler Fish Tail Records
2008 Live at the Half Moon CD Baby
2011 A True Friend is Hard To Hard – A Gospel Retrospective CD Baby
2011 Put on a Buzz CD Baby
2013 Honey Hole Fish Tail Records
2017 Mississippi River Blues Fish Tail Records
2018 Reefer Hound: Viper Songs Revisited Fish Tail Records
2019 Catfish Crawl Fish Tail Records
2020 Blues at Midnight Fish Tail Records
2024 Shake Me Up CD Baby

[2][12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Larkin, Colin (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of the Blues (1st ed.). London, England: Virgin Books. p. 71. ISBN 0753502267.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Belanger, Larry (February 9, 1962). "Catfish Keith – Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  3. ^ Nickson, Chris (September 25, 2001). "A Fist Full of Riffs – Catfish Keith : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  4. ^ "Catfish Keith – £10.00". Chapel Arts. November 13, 2012. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  5. ^ "Interview with Catfish Keith". Blues in London. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  6. ^ "Sweet Pea Reviews". Catfishkeith.com. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  7. ^ a b "Tenth Anniversary Weekender: Catfish Keith (Cluny 2)". The Cluny. Archived from the original on December 4, 2012. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  8. ^ Hotle, David. "Catfish Inducted into Iowa Blues Hall of Fame". Catfishkeith.com. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  9. ^ "Catfish Keith". Homespuntapes.com. Archived from the original on June 11, 2013. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  10. ^ "Learning Curve : The Country Blues Guitar of Catfish Keith". Catfishkeith.com. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  11. ^ "2019 Blues Blast Music Award Winners – Blues Blast Magazine". September 13, 2019. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  12. ^ "String-Twanging Home of Catfish Keith". Catfishkeith.com. December 2, 2012. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
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