Neo-blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist (he also plays Dobro and tenor banjo) C.W. Stoneking (Chris to his close friends) was born in 1974 in Katherine, Australia, to American parents. A veteran of local bands around Sydney by the time he was 13, he was influenced by early blues artists like Blind Willie McTell, Memphis Minnie, Leroy Carr, Big Bill Broonzy, and others, a genre and era that were to form the backbone of his consequent creative vision. Stoneking's solo work focused largely on original compositions that echoed the '20s and '30s blues, ragtime, calypso, jazz, and hillbilly recordings he so treasured. He has also toured with several bands, including the Blue Tits and the Primitive Horn Orchestra. ~ Steve Leggett