Sammy Drain

www.myspace.com/thesammydrain
Sammy L. Drain, the founder of the Seattle Blues Society, known to most as just “Sammy” is also a well renown musician who has played with a host of the worlds most talented musicians; Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder, Bobbie Womack, Ronnie Hammond, Luther Rabb (both of WAR), Tony Williams, ConFunkShun, Albert Collins, Buddy Miles, Bemorce Blackmon and many more. Flamboyant and outspoken Sammy gives the impression of the ol’ skool entertainer who thrills his audience and grabs their attention until he’s ready to let them go. When you see him live you see a polished performer, Sammy’s own unique musical style has been compared to Isley Brothers, and of course Hendrix, but it comes from over 40+ years of refining his playing style, songwriting abilities, his own "straight from the heart" vocal style set into orbit by his own awesome guitar licks and listening to the old records of great artists such as B.B. King, Ray Charles, Muddy Waters, Freddie King and Albert King. Sammy’s musical adventures landed him in Hollywood, where his hobby of photographing stars led him to acting. He was cast in many movies, commercials and television series, such as

LA Law

Miami Vice

Hill Street Blues

Growing Pains

My Sister Sam

and Gung Ho with Stevie Wonder. After spending many years in Los Angeles in both music and film and television and touring around the world, Sammy has returned to the Northwest where he continues to perform and share his music with students of all ages.

A warm hearted, kind, caring man with a high regard for moral standards and self-esteem; Sammy portrays these things in everyday life and has tutored and counseled youth, who seem to have lost these values. He deeply believes in sharing the many wonderful American musical art forms that form a living history of the American struggle and that music can give children the hope and courage that is so desperately needed to face the challenges of the 21st century. Behind the soulful vocals, strong leadership skills, charismatic personality and smile of Sammy Drain you’ll find that these characteristics combined with his humanitarianism, have not only made him a good band leader but also a positive role model in the community. He has donated his time and efforts to many community affiliations and events including Seattle’s Black Community Festival, Blues in the Schools, Black Arts West, The Langston Hughes Center, and community YMCA & YWCA’s in addition to performing at area events and venues such as The Cotton Club, The Seattle Center Coliseum, The HUB Ballroom, Birdland, Marla’s Memory Lane, Fat Tuesday, Fire Festival, and of course Seattle’s annual Jimi Hendrix Day.

Sammy’s exposure to music began back when he first started learning to play guitar and developing his gift early at the age of 13 with a very close friend and childhood playmate the famous musical mogul JIMI HENDRIX! In fact Sammy and Jimi were often found playing together on Sammy’s porch, together they explored guitar playing, developing new and different styles as the music itself was changing around them in the 1950’s. While Jimi and Sammy influenced each other, they both went on to have fabulous careers of their own in music. Sammy strives to keep the Jimi Hendrix legend alive. He is the founder of the annual Jimi Hendrix Day granted by City of Seattle Mayor, Norm Rice. For a time he also opened Sammy Drain's Hendrix Museum which was located on Sammy Drain Lane, an alley in the Central District where he and Jimi use to play together. A seasoned performer, Sammy has traveled throughout the world playing his music & performing on stage and screen and has always kept his friend in mind. “Jimi revolutionized the music industry, but he was acknowledged in London and not here.” So in 1999, he traveled to Triad Studios in Redmond with a few of Jimi’s musician friends, and recorded “Thank You Jimi” a single and full length CD, which is not only dedicated to Jimi Hendrix, but honors Hendrix’s contribution to the music industry. “He deserves it. He revolutionized the industry and made a great impact on everyone.” Sammy also appears in the books

Jimi Hendrix: Electric Gypsy

Room Full of Mirrors : A Biography of Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix: The Man, the Magic, the Truth .

and in the films

Jimi Hendrix: By Those Who Knew Him Best

Jimi Hendrix: The Uncut Story

There is no substitution for the real thing, and Sammy Drain is the real thing.

Read more: http://www.myspace.com/thesammydrain