The Dukes of Destiny
History of the Band
In 1984, four young, local musicians got together and began playing old blues songs in a rambling three-story house in Philadelphia. They decided to take the act on the road as The Dukes of Destiny, a name they got from a matchbook cover urging the reader to "Be the Captain of Your Own Destiny." At first, The Dukes of Destiny played house parties in Germantown, generating interest by word of mouth. A gig at the now-defunct Taker's Café in Germantown launched their public career, and 20 years later they are still playing some of the hottest, most danceable blues and R 'n B in the Philadelphia area. The Dukes of Destiny reign as Philadelphia's longest-lived blues act.
There have been changes in the act: guitarists left, the sax player moved to Texas, and sadly, singer Steve Brown died in March of 2000. But the core of the band has remained together for 20 years, resulting in a band with a unique tightness and an original approach to the music.
Harmonica player and singer John Colgan-Davis has played in the Philadelphia area for more than 30 years, playing and touring with such notables as Bonnie Raitt, Tennessee bluesman Sparky Rucker, the John Cadillac Band, and the legendary guitarist Mississippi Fred McDowell. Drummer Bob Holden has played with Robert Hazzard and Columbia recording artist Quincy. Guitarist Rich Adler played with the beloved Philadelphia band Slant 6. Keyboardist/vocalist David Kay has played with local bluegrass legends the Lewis Brothers and with Adler and Colgan-Davis in a blues trio. Finally, bassist Rich Curtis has led his own jazz groups and has played with guitarist Jim Dragoni, percussionist Doc Gibbs, and saxman Bayard Lancaster. Most recently, The Dukes of Destiny have been joined by the talented and sassy vocalist Miss Arlyn Wolters from New York City. Together, the members of the band represent more than 100 years of professional music experience.
Over the last 20 years The Dukes of Destiny have gained a large and loyal following among Philadelphia listeners who know and love the blues. They've appeared at four Philadelphia River Blues Festivals at Penn's Landing, five concerts sponsored by the Philadelphia Blues Machine, the YO Philadelphia Festival sponsored by the Daily News, and the Pocono Blues Festival. They have also opened for such greats as Albert King, Charlie Musselwhite, Commander Cody, Gatemouth Brown, Koko Taylor, John Lee Hooker, and John Mayall. The Dukes of Destiny have also served as the backup band for legendary Chicago guitarist/singer Otis Rush. Duke members Bob Holden, John Colgan-Davis, and Rich Curtis served as the backup band for singer Terry Evans at Performances at TRAMMPS in New York City and the Penn State Festival of the Arts. The band received an award from The Philadelphia Folk Song Society in 1993.
With a mix of powerful original songs and arrangements of obscure blues standards, The Dukes of Destiny continue to grow and develop as they share their music through live performances and recordings.
The Dukes of Destiny
Biographies
Richard Ray Adler, guitar, has been flat-picking electric Chicago blues and finger-picking Mississippi-style country blues for over 36 years. He plays a 1956 Fender Telecaster, occasionally switching to a 1970s Fender Stratocaster. Ray's heroes include famous blues guitarists Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, Hubert Sumlin, and Ry Cooder, and country greats Albert Lee, James Burton and Clarence White. Ray is a founding member of The Dukes of Destiny. He is also president of an electronic systems company, serving a variety of clients ranging from the Florida Department of Transportation to the governments of Israel and Chile. Ray lives in Lafayette Hills, Pennsylvania.
John Colgan-Davis, harmonica and vocals, started playing the harmonica in local blues and folk clubs back in the late 1960s, while he was still a high school student. He played and recorded with Philadelphia singer-guitarist Jesse Graves and also played with Bonnie Raitt when she lived in Philadelphia in the early 1970s. Through Bonnie, John got to meet and play with Mississippi Fred McDowell, Arthur Crudup, Buddy Guy, and Skip James. He has also jammed with James Cotton, John Hammond, Charlie Musselwhite, John Lee Hooker, Bill Dicey, and Louisiana Red. He toured the Midwest and recorded two CDs-"Cold and Lonesome on a Train" and "Heroes and Hard Times"- with Tennessee bluesman Sparky Rucker. John also played for three years with The John Cadillac Band. He is one of the founding members of The Dukes of Destiny. John also teaches Social Studies and English at Friends Select School. He has written articles and supplements for The Philadelphia Inquirer on Blacks in the American West, Black Literature, the History of Black Philadelphia, and other topics. His interviews about Black History and "Links between Blues and Rock 'n Roll," are regularly broadcast on WXPN's Kids' Corner. John lives in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia.
Carl "CC" Crabtree, sax, started playing sax when he was eight years old. He has played and recorded with numerous bands in the Philadelphia area. In the mid 1980s, while living in Atlanta, GA, CC had the opportunity to record with producer Brendan O'Brien (Pearl Jam, Train) and to tour the Bible belt extensively. Returning to the Delaware Valley in 1988, he played with a variety of bands ranging from country/western to recording and performing with Ben Vaughn ("That 70s Show" and "Third Rock") and the late Grover Washington Jr. In addition to The Dukes of Destiny, CC can also be heard playing with Zydeco-A-Go-Go, Beau Jazz, The Wild Bohemians, Philly Gumbo, The Jalapenos and the Ben Vaughn Quintet. He is also a vocalist and plays solo guitar. He spends much of his time away from music as an active member of an amateur radio club, a car club (Shelby Dodge Automobile Club), and in an Internet business. CC lives in Ridley, Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
Rich Curtis, bass, joined The Dukes of Destiny in 1995. He played in Jim Dragoni's Blue Lightning from 1990 to 1993, in A Moment's Notice from 1993 to 1996, and in his own band, The Rich Curtis Group, from 1996 to 1997. Rich has performed with many Philadelphia artists including Catch 22, Doc Gibbs, Bayard Lancaster, Kathy Kilpatrick, and Nate Mitchell. Rich earned a B.A. in Business Administration from Temple University and currently works as an accountant for a well-known local non-profit organization. As a child, he sang with the Philadelphia Boys Choir and had the opportunity to travel and perform with them in Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Denmark, England, Pakistan, China and Egypt. Rich lives in the Mt. Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia.
Bob Holden, drums, started playing drums when he was 10 and was in his first band at the age of 11. In 1976 he joined the South Jersey band, Quincy, which was signed to CBS Records in 1980. He then joined Lu Lu Temple, also on CBS records. Bob joined The Dukes of Destiny in 1985 as a founding member. He has played with Louisiana Red, Otis Rush, Jessie Mae Hemphil, Terry Evans, Eddie Kirkland, Johnny Clyde Copeland, Shemekia Copeland and Andre Thiery. He currently plays with Zydeco-a-Go-Go; The Randy Lippincott Band (house band at WarmDaddy's, the premiere blues club in Philadelphia), and The Dukes of Destiny. Bob can also be heard on recordings by Baltimore blues singer Kathie Jean, folk singer Jamie Watson, Ted the fiddler, Sister Blue, Randy Lippincott, and Zydeco-a-Go-Go. In addition to music, his passions and hobbies include golf, skiing and auto racing. Bob lives in Boyertown, PA.
Arlyn Waters, vocals, graduated from New York State College at Fredonia with a degree in Acting. She moved to Rochester and became seriously involved with the blues circuit there, performing with JB and Co., Mike Gladstone and Mile High, and Chester MacMillan and Three Steps from the Blues. She also landed the role of Janis Joplin in Downstair's Cabaret production of "Beehive." In 1997, she moved to New York City where she became involved with TruBeat Productions. She has performed at The Bitter End and Arlene Grocery, and her co-performers have included Bycky Byrd of Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, Dana Fuchs, and Christine Oldman of the Saturday Night Live band. Arlyn also co-hosted and performed in a weekly open mic session called "The Butter Jam" in the Lower East Side. She was also involved with New York City's official gospel choir, The Metro Mass Choir, which performed at The Town Hall and Carnegie Hall. She currently resides in the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia.
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