Lil’ Ronnie and the Grand Dukes are led by blues harpist, singer / songwriter and Hohner Harmonica endorsee, Ronnie Keith Owens.

Ronnie  was born in Richmond, VA in 1950.  Inspired and encouraged by his jazz drumming uncle, Ronnie was beatin’ the skins by the time he was 8, and giging in local bands by the tender age of 13. Ronnie was weaned on the sounds of swing jazz, rhythm & blues and 50's rock & roll, but it was the post-war urban blues that really spoke to Ronnie, especially the deep blues of Muddy Waters, the wicked harp of Little Walter and all the great Chess artists.
.
Ronnie is a member of that first generation of young white bluesmen who embraced the genre during the folk / blues revival of the 60’s. Ronnie finally, at the age of 30, put down his sticks and picked up the harp and within a couple of years he was fronting his own bands as both singer and harp player. Ronnie has now been leading his own bands for over 25 years. He has played with or opened shows with some of the biggest names in the blues, John Lee Hooker, James Cotton, Taj Mahal, Carey Bell, Pinetop Perkins, Anson Funderburg, Sam Meyers, Johnny Winter and many many others.
Ronnie toured the US and Canada as a featured member of Big Bill Morganfield’s (Muddy’s son) band. Ronnie has also performed with Mark Hummel’s popular “Blues Harmonica Blowouts”  where he played with some the genre’s top artists, James Harman, Magic Dick, Fingers Taylor and Mark Wenner. Ronnie has also hosted his own ‘Blues Harmonica Revue tours’ featuring west coast Harmonica greats, Mitch Kashmar, John Nemeth and RJ Mischo.  Ronnie has worked hard and paid his dues to earn the respect of his peers.

Ronnie and his band ‘the Grand Dukes’ are a critically acclaimed touring band and play anywhere from funky little blues bars, where the music was invented, to major blues festivals, including a headlining & swinging night at New York’s prestigious Lincoln Center. They have earned the reputation as an exciting, must see band!

Ronnie and the band have recorded 3 critically acclaimed and internationally distributed CD’s. Their latest CD ‘do what’cha do’, produced by renowned Texas blues guitarist Anson Funderburgh  was a hit with Blues & Americana  radio worldwide. The CD reached #5 on XM Radio’s Bluesville and reached #15 on ‘Living Blues’ worldwide radio charts, where it stayed for 2 months!

‘do what’cha do’ was ranked # 8 in Real Blues Magazine top CD’s of 2005, the band was also named ‘Best US Blues Band 2005’ from Real Blues Magazine. Ronnie and the Grand Dukes were also voted ‘Best Blues Artist’ at the 5th Annual Virginia Music Awards.

Back to Bio Page