Anson Funderburgh Blues Biography

  ANSON FUNDERBURGH – Born in 1954, Anson Funderburgh hails from Plano, Texas, where the youngster first picked up guitar. In high school, he got bit by the blues bug through Jimmy Reed and Lightning Hopkins. By 1978, he started Anson & The Rockets with vocalist/harp player Darrell Nulisch, and the group was signed by Black Top Records a couple years later. In 1986, Nulisch was replaced by Blind Sam Myers who stayed until his death in 2006. The Rockets went on to win 10 Handy’s.

After Myers’ death, Funderburgh took a seven-year hiatus from performing to devote to his new family. In 2011, Funderburgh resumed performing with both The Rockets and the Eric Lindell Band. The latter part of 2012 saw the first of many tours of the Golden State/Lone Star Revue. Funderburgh has played with Delbert McClinton (and joins his Sandy Beaches Cruise every year), Boz Scaggs, Snooks Eaglin, Grady Gaines, Earl King and Jimmy Buffett. Anson Funderburgh is also the inspiration for Beavis (Beavis & Butthead); former bassist and creator of the characters, Mike Judge, worked as a Rocket for three years.

Some Notes from Grego about Anson

I was fortunate enough to see Anson back in the days with Sam at Liberty Lunch in Austin TX… really great shows back in a golden era of Live music in Austin. My friends have been playing with him quite a bit recently, Greg Izor, Willie Pipkin, Nate Rowe – and it’s been great to hear about what a gentleman Anson is – passing down lessons and wisdom to the next generation of Blues performers. I highly recommend seeing him live if you get the chance.

Discography

• 1981: Talk to You By Hand (Black Top)
• 1985: She Knocks Me Out! (Black Top)
• 1986: My Love Is Here To Stay (Black Top)
• 1987: Sins (Black Top)
• 1990: Rack ‘Em Up (Black Top)
• 1991: Tell Me What I Want to Hear (Black Top)
• 1991: Thru the Years: A Retrospective (Black Top)
• 1995: Live At the Grand Emporium (Black Top)
• 1997: That’s What They Want (Black Top)
• 1999: Change In My Pocket (Bullseye Blues)
• 2003: Which Way Is Texas? (Bullseye Blues)
• 2011: Mill Block Blues (Ruff Kutt)
• 2013: Deal With It (EllerSoul Records)
• 2013: Drink Drank Drunk (Produced, featured) (Delta Groove)
• 2014 The Hustle Is Really On

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