Robben Ford

Robben Ford Bio

Robben Ford (born December 16, 1951, in Woodlake, California) is a world-renown blues, jazz, and rock guitarist.

Ford was born into a musical family. His father was a country and western singer and guitarist, while his mother, Kathryn, played the piano. As a teenager, Ford spent countless hours listening to artists like Aretha Franklin and Otis. He soon fell in love with the sound of guitar blues from Mike Bloomfield, Eric Clapton, and B.B. King and at thirteen, taught himself to play.

After high school, Ford and his brothers Patrick (a blues drummer) and Mark (a blues harmonica player) formed The Charles Ford Blues Band. Later, Ford was picked up by legendary blues singer Jimmy Witherspoon, and taken to L.A. with whom he toured the U.S. and Europe. Ford played with Jimmy Witherspoon from 1972 to 1973, the L.A. Express with Tom Scott in 1974, then George Harrison and Joni Mitchell.

In 1977, he became a founding member of the Yellowjackets, where he stayed until 1983. Through the same period, Ford pursued a solo career and worked as a session guitarist. His 1988 release for Warner Brothers, "Talk to Your Daughter" won him his first Grammy nomination (Best Contemporary Blues Recording). It also set him up to start touring the world under his own name.