Although the color names in the Red’s Blues band name are clearly opposites to each other, the core pair of the band couldn’t have been a better match for each other.
Singer Beth Reid-Grigsby and bassist RW Grigsby met while playing music more than four decades ago, eventually forming Red’s Blues, which will be played at the Empress Theater in Vallejo on Wednesday night.
Grigsby grew up in Georgia, moved west in 1976 and eventually became a long-time member of Mark Hummel’s iconic blues harmonica band, touring throughout the United States and much of the world.
Shortly after making that big move, R.W. met Beth playing a show in Southern California.
“The first time I sang on stage was in 1977. And he played bass — it was at the Bluebird Cafe in Santa Barbara,” Reid-Grigsby.
The two quickly became a team, marrying in 1979.
“We wandered around the country, you know, had a few detours along the way, but we’ve been together a long time,” Grigsby said.
Once when he found that he had time off between tours to spend near the Bay Area, Grigsby couldn’t keep quiet, and decided to start a side band.
“When I wasn’t on the road, we formed a band to play some local shows, and got people from the Bay Area, and that became a thing,” Grigsby said.
The group became Red’s Blues, whose brand of American music is as contagious as the love stories of its leaders — even more so now that Grigsby’s health keeps him close to home.
“I had a stroke two years ago, and I’m not touring anymore, so it’s really a godsend,” Grigsby said.
“I’m really happy to hear that someone is trying to step up and do something to get things rolling again there because we really miss playing at Vallejo,” said Reid-Grigsby.
If You Go: Red’s Blues, 5:30pm Wednesday, Empress Theatre, 330 Virginia St., Vallejo. Tickets are $12. For more information, visit [empresstheater.org.
