Originally from Detroit, Pat Smillie moved to Chicago in 1992 to pursue his career as a vocalist/songwriter. In 1994, he met Vance Kelly at The Checkerboard Lounge and soon Kelly took him under his wing and began to feature for a few songs on each of his shows. In 1996, Smillie struck out on his own and formed The Oakwood Blvd. Rhythym Band. The group garnered a regular Wednesday night slot as one of the house bands at The Checkerboard Lounge (where they performed for over a year). They also backed the legendary R&B madman, Andre "Mr. Rhythm" Williams, at an infamous gig at The Beat Kitchen.
In 1999, Smillie released a 7-song EP called, "I Got An Angel" (Irochet Records). The release helped raise Smillie's profile on the local blues scene and eventually earned The Pat Smillie Band opening slots for Koko Taylor and Bobby Rush.
In late-2002, Smillie began recording his follow-up CD called, "Letter to Hampton" (Fat Bank Music) - his first full-length release. He and the band also traveled to Tempe, AZ to perform at the annual Fiesta Bowl Block Party on New Years Eve (which featured national headliners such as The Charlie Daniels Band and the reunited Go-Gos).
April 2003 will mark the official release of the "Letter to Hampton" CD. The album features Smillie's long-time rhythym section (Johnnie Bennie on bass and Cleveland Taylor on drums), as well as, guest appearances by Vance Kelly and Jimmy Burns.
Over the years, The Pat Smillie Band has performed at some of Chicago's premier music venues including The Old Town School of Folk Music, The Hot House, The Checkerboard Lounge, The Tyrone Davis Entertainment Center and Koko Taylor's Celebrity.
For more information, visit their website: http://www.patsmillie.com
Got a correction? Click
Here
