I would like to welcome to the show Paul Follipowitz.
Paul, thank you so much for joining us and we just heard riding high.
What a terrific song. What could you tell me about the song?
One of my favorite songs off of my own filtered album, like, well, you know, we travel a lot and play a lot and
this was just a tribute to all of the boys in the band.
So, um, and so it's a mover and a shaker and, uh, it's just a fun song.
Well, and you've been doing this, uh, with your band for what, 50 years, does that sound right?
And what keeps you inspired to keep getting out there and doing this?
Oh, you know, that's, that's a good question.
Of, you know, I, I'm one of the lucky people that, uh, I've known all along.
This is what I'm supposed to be doing, uh, is playing a blues guitar.
So, you know, there's a lot of my friends over guitar players and all that stuff.
They come up play a couple of country gigs with us.
You know, you're making a couple bucks or come up play some rock and roll gigs.
I go and like, well, you know, I'd rather work a day job than do that because that, that's not what I, I don't, um, I'm here.
I'm supposed to be playing this other stuff.
And yeah, it's my calling and, and, uh, I remember the first time I heard it.
When I was a little kid and, and I mean, vividly, I can still remember it.
It's, to this day that, uh, it was, it was calling me and the guys were, um, that, that's, you know, I thought, while they were playing that just for me.
And I still feel that way when I understand some of that stuff.
And then through the years of me growing up and, and hanging out and, and, uh, so I went and saw the live blues that I possibly could, you know, and I still do.
But I got to see money waters.
I got to see how I'm involved.
I got to see Albert King and be the king and Freddie King and everybody, um, I got, you know, I got to see all those guys.
And every time I saw them, they inspired me.
It's, it's my calling and then every once in a while, I'll get pooped out.
And, and then somebody will do something like induct me into the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame.
You know, and they did that in 2015.
And that was like a real eye opener that, you know, like, yeah, I guess you're supposed to be doing this.
And then this year, then, which is the Wisconsin Blues Hall of Fame.
So how did that feel, Paul?
You know, it was, um, it was very interesting that, you know, uh, when they put me in the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame, I didn't think it could get any better than that.
You know, but money waters and all those guys are in there and I wear a buddy guys club, you know, and all of that stuff.
And, uh, but then when they, when we did this one, you know, it was up in Milwaukee and, and I looked at it and, you know, it's like it's real.
This is real, you know, this is, uh, this is what I'm supposed to be doing.
I got to ask you about one other one that I read about.
So, so you're in the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame, the Wisconsin Blues Hall of Fame.
You have a ton of awards that I think are just amazing.
But you were also at one point named the best dressed by the big city rhythm and blues magazine.
You are always dressed so great.
Two years in a row.
Oh, wow.
Two years in a row.
That's where everybody in the United States.
And that, and that, yeah, that kind of floored me to because they got all the big shots.
I got to get dressed up for my public, you know, well, we're glad you do because not enough people do that anymore.
And it just goes so great with your blues music.
Well, it's kind of like I'm a, I'm a preacher.
You know, I can't go to church without my, you know, without my Bible, you know, so you come from a musical family too.
Yeah, I come from a musical family and my dad was, he was a trumpet and a corned player and the big dance way along, you know, back before I was born.
And, and my mom taught my sisters how to play piano.
And so, and they both, you know, we all sang in church, you know, we go to church and sing.
And we had a whole broke down guitar that my dad got through rent for one of his places that he rented and, and so that was my first guitar.
One of the things I'm really lucky about is that, um, I'm a songwriter too.
And I've been a songwriter ever since I was a kid.
I would make up songs and all that stuff.
And everybody told me shut up, Paulie, you know, and I've been going, yeah, but, but I got a song here, you know,
and, and, and so, you know, it pays off because I can, you know, I, I can come up with songs, you know, I can get inspired and I can come up with this stuff.
Yeah, it's the stories of, it's the stories of my life.
I tell stories of my life.
We are going to leave with the song brand new hat and Paul, thank you so much again for chatting with me.
