Biography
The Red Devils were a Los Angeles based band who played blues-rock music. They were active during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The band members included drummer Bill Bateman (also of The Blasters), guitarist Dave Lee, bassist Johnny Ray Bartel (also of The Knitters), guitarist Paul "The Kid" Size, and band leader and harmonica player Lester Butler.
Musical visionaries in their lifetime are often criticized for blasphemously blending musical styles. Such was the case with Lester Butler. His last album, 13, melded the roots of American music, blues and alternative rock. Yet Butler could also get down and blow some hardcore blues, backing luminaries Billy Boy Arnold, King Ernest and Finis Tasby.
His first band, The Red Devils, received the attention of producer Rick Rubin (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mick Jagger, Tom Petty) while playing their favorite haunt, the King King. With Rubin, they released their only album, which was named after that haunt. Their sound attracted the likes of Jagger, who took them into the studio, but the tracks were never used for Jagger's album Wandering Spirit.
Alex Schultz, fresh from Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers, teamed with Butler to form 13. Though abhorred by blues purists, the group broke ground, especially in Europe where they drew high praise from rock bands, who in turn gave 13 opening slots for their shows.
Butler died of a drug overdose on 10 May 1998, at the age of 38; two people went to prison for putting cocaine in his body when he was out.
You can also find Lester Butler or 13 Featuring Lester Butler on Last.fm.
Artist descriptions on Last.fm are editable by everyone. Feel free to contribute!
All user-contributed text on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply.
