Emerging blues guitar sensation Scotty Bratcher and The Scotty Bratcher Band have been booked for the first Riverside Bluesfest, Sept. 1, 2007, at K.C. Geiger Park in St. Marys.

Bratcher has been astonishing audiences at blues festivals with his guitar licks since he was 12 years old. Now at the ripe old age of 19, Bratcher has established himself as one of the hottest blues tickets in Ohio.

At 12 years old, Bratcher caught the ear of his idol Lonnie Mack, who extended an invitation to join him on stage for a dueling “Double Whammy.” Mack warned the crowd, “He’s a monster and he’s comin’ at ya!” Later that same year, out of 1,200 nationwide contestants of all ages, Bratcher won first runner-up in a national guitar competition held by Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

Bratcher will join four other acts which will perform at the Bluesfest -- a day-long feast of food, fun and music alongside the St. Marys River in K.C. Geiger Park.

Tickets for the Riverside Bluesfest are expected to go on sale in March 2007. For up-to-date information about the Riverside Bluesfest, go to www.stmarysblues.com.

Scotty Bratcher can not remember when he did not play a guitar. Being surrounded by music of all styles including gospel, bluegrass and country, it was obvious by the age of 2 that Scotty had a true passion for blues. Even more obvious was the talent that he had been given to play blues.

At 12 years old he caught the ear of one of his own heroes, Lonnie Mack, who extended an invitation to join him on stage for a dueling "Double Whammy." Lonnie warns the crowd, "He's a monster and he's comin' at ya!" His words of encouragement fueled an already unquenchable fire burning inside the young blues guitarist. Later that same year, out of 1200 contestants nationwide, Scotty won first runner up in a national guitar competition held by Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

Now at 19, Scotty Bratcher has become a major player among the region's best. Appearing regularly with "The Scotty Bratcher Band" in clubs and festivals, he has earned the respect of fans and musicians alike. He has opened for numerous national acts including Buddy Guy, Tab Benoit, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Bob Margolin and Rod Piazza.

Scotty has chosen to move up to the level of his mentors and inspirations. His band members include bass player Greg Calvert and drummer Darrell Wilborn. Both have been professional musicians for more than 25 years, each providing his own individual strength and presence to the trio. This is easily heard on their recent CD, self-titled "The Scotty Bratcher Band," which was released during the first week of September 2004.

For a typical teen in today's world it may appear to be a road less traveled, but it is definitely a road Scotty Bratcher has learned to navigate well. But then again, Scotty Bratcher is not typical.

Growing Up Blue - by Chris DeVille

Compared to Colin John and his half-open shirt, graying pony-tail and shiny silver guitar, Scotty Bratcher is dressed plainly, but his playing is just as flashy.

The two bluesmen - one a veteran of worldwide tours, the other a youngster on the rise - are sitting in John's Upper Arlington backyard working out acoustic collaborations for next week's Columbus Blues Alliance event at Whiskey Dick's, which they'll co-headline.

Such encounters are increasingly common for the 18-year-old Bratcher. He's shared the stage with top talent such as Chris Duarte and traveled to Chicago to play with Ronnie Baker Brooks in the presence of Buddy Guy. That's why he isn't fazed as he improvises with John, trading solos and watching intently to pick up new tricks.

The Middletown resident's playing is phenomenal, but eqally impressive is his understanding of what makes great music.

"You have to lay back and realize it's not a contest," Bratcher says.

Now a high school graduate, Bratcher has lost that "child prodigy" tag that helped lift him out from under the regional radar. He's sad to give up an attribute that made him unique, "but hopefully people will view me as a good enough entertainer that they'll still support me," he said.

That seems to be the case thus far. Bratcher is the biggest draw at the Blues Station, outdrawing nationally known blues acts with his monthly gigs at the bar.

He makes it to the rest of Ohio as well, spending nearly every weekend performing his blistering take on electric blues rock. Bratcher hopes to extend those weekend trips into national tours.

Jim Gelder, a trustee with the blues alliance, says Bratcher has the talent to get there.

"Hendrix showed us how it was done, and then Stevie Ray came along and put blues rock on the map, "Gelder said. "Millions of guitar players have tried to emulate Stevie Ray Vaughn since then. Scotty can emulate him."

He's been studying the Texas legend since before his third birthday. As a toddler, Bratcher would watch videos of Vaughn, mimicking the guitarist's hand motions on the fretboard of his father's guitar.

By the time Bratcher was pre-school age, he was learning guitar licks from Dad at breakfast and mastering them by dinner time. As a 12-year-old, he finished second in an adult guitar competition hosted by Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

Now that he's out of school, Bratcher spends all day playing guitar and looking for ways to reach the next level in the blues hierarchy. He doesn't mind spending so much time on music - he knows a tougher grind is ahead, and for now it still feels like summer vacation.

And besides, "It's hard to get burned out on people liking you."

Discography:
Year	Title	Label
2004	The Scotty Bratcher Band