Big Bill & the Cool Tones

"Big Bill" Ganaye ( William Patrick Ganaye)

Born : Nov.16,1952

Started playing Bass and Trumpet at age 11

First gig age 12

Played the Filmore Auditorium( S.F.)with Life long friend Ron Thompson at age 16

Left home and moved to Sausalito Summer 1968, had a rehearsal space next to the heliport. Anyone who remembers being or jamming there please e-mail me. Some famous cats we're coming through all the time but I can't remember all of them. I really was in the 60's folks.

Thank god for Terry Henry back then. He was the night minister for the Presbyterian Church on the hill on Excelsior Lane across from the park down town. I spoke with Terry on the phone after tracking him down through the church around 1995/96 and he is still ministering but now is back east in Martha's Vineyard, If my memory serves me. I would love to hear from any of the friends that I had then, Mo ? and Kathy McGreevy the two girls who I went to the peace march with in Marin County, standing with long sad looks on our faces as we listened to a speaker read all the names of the soldiers who had died in a senseless war (the vietnam war).

That was Nov.15th 1969 and I will always remember it. My birthday was the very next day and to our surprise we woke to a friend holding up the Independent Journal (a popular local newspaper). The reporter snapped a shot of the three of us and used it on the front page and it was huge, not a small picture but a full page shot. That was a hell of a birthday surprise, and I turned 17 , I was living on my own but wanted to finish high school and the Haight Asbury thing was just about finished and the drugs were really starting to mess people up. So I went back home.

Graduated from Newark High School 1971 (after dropping out and leaving home for a year and 2 Summers) the Beatles we're a bad influence on me but I wouldn't trade a minute of it.

Honorable discharge U.S.Navy 1973 short stay but got all my benifits.Went through boot camp and then helped paint a ship right in the Bay Area at Hunters Point Shipyard. Then got out with the help of some very cool and hip doctors.

Moved to South Lake Tahoe 1976 played in a few different bands through the years while supporting a family.The Sierra Foxfire Band was the most popular one from the Tahoe area. Anyone who remembers seeing us please e-mail me and let me know. mailto:blues@thepostmaster.net

Son (Trevor Ganaye) born 10-22-77. Trevor is very musical and plays blues guitar, bass, and harmonica. With the later being his chosen instrument. His first time in front of a crowd was at a friend of mines birthday party we had Ron Thompson on guitar and piano, me on guitar, David ( Big Brother & the Holding Company) Getz on drums, and Trevor played bass, We did a swing shuffle called "Every Day I Have The blues" and he made me so very proud, he was (and is) great!

Daughter (Chelsea Ganaye) born 2-3-82 Chelsea is the actress in the family and loves to sing and is very good at memorizing anything, she also won the Miss Placerville Beauty Contest this year, That's my Girl !

Divorced 9-?-90

Moved back to the Sanfrancisco Bay Area and began playing music again. You can read about players page

Big Bill's career ever since his return from 14 years in the Sierra's.

Career Notes

Played with The Luther Tucker Band for 3 years in the early 90's before Luther passed away. See the photo's page for pictures of Big Bill playing at the Water Front Blues Festival in Portland Oregon.Was always a Bass player until I met Luther. He inspired me to play the guitar and gave me many valuable and cherished guitar lessons. He then started hiring me as his rhythm guitarist.But he would always let me play a few bars of lead during any given set. He was truly a wonderful and kind soul, and the nicest person I think I have ever met.

Also played in the Sam (Big Brother & the Holding Company) Andrew Band for 3 years . And has played with Big Brother & the Holding Company while in concert several times. Pictures to be added soon.

Another band Big Bill was hired to play in for about a year was the Raymond Victor Band out of Vallejo Ca.

Also worked with Rich Kirch from John Lee Hooker's Band.

And J.J.Malone considered by many to be a west coast blues Legend.

I have to keep going here— Freddie Roulette and Big Bill have worked together in different bands for the entire 9 1/2 years off and on and in the Summer of 2002 played at the famed Shoreline Amphitheatre again with Harvey Mandel sitting in on guitar and Snooky (Janis Joplin's Kosmic Blues Band sax player) Flowers. Also on the stage Even Palmerston (ex-Elvin Bishop bassist for many years and Bruce Brymer on drums (Clover w/Huey Lewis).

Big Bill's debut CD "RAINY DAY BLUES" on Bill's own label Cool Tone Records is supported by some of the best sidemen in the business today. Most notably is Mark Naftalin on Piano (Michael Bloomfield/ John Lee Hooker and more) and Fred Lipsius on alto sax(Leader of Blood Sweat and Tears/ director of the Prestigious Berkley School of Music)also on baritone sax is Snooky Flowers (Janis Joplin's Kozmic Blues Band)Snooky is a regular member of the Cool Tones.

Why this name?
I chose it myself from a nick name that just sort of stuck.

Do you play live?
I do play live but not as much as I used to. My best times we're playing with the late great Luther Tucker. And my biggest gig was playing at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium New Years Eve, 1998 and opening for Chriss Issaks, Boz Scaggs and Robert Cray. But the Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland with Luther Tucker was the best.

How, do you think, does the internet (or mp3) change the music industry?
It makes it more available and accessable.

Would you sign a record contract with a major label?
It would depend on the deal.

Band History:
http://www.blues.theshoppe.com/players.htm
Get the CD on the official Big Bill & the Cool Tones web site.

Your influences?
http://www.blues.theshoppe.com/players.htm

Favorite spot?
Right here at home in Glen Ellen Ca.

Equipment used:
1968 Gibson es355 stereo guitar and a 1966 Fender Super Reverb. On the CD here I used a custom built Strat with a hardtail and a Fender Studio Lead solid state amp.

Anything else…?
Thanks for listening to my music. It is afterall you folks that keep me inspired to keep playing my blues. God Bless you all. Big Bill