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Krackerjack Video
Bruce Bowland, Vocals John Stahely,
Guitar
Mike Kindred, Piano Tommy Shannon,
Bass
Uncle John Turner, Drums
Thanks to videographer Rick Corbin!
Photos from the Dallas Guitar Show 2005
Thanks to photographer
Mark Connor!
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“My mother took me to see Bo Diddley, Lloyd Price and Lavern Baker
when I was 9; from that point forward I knew I wanted to be a singer.”
 Born in Oak Cliff, Bruce fronted his own band by the age of 14, earning $10 when he made his singing debut.
He spent the summer of 1967 playing the black clubs of South Dallas, singing mostly blues and James Brown covers. He joined regional favorites “The Mystics,” performing mostly at colleges and the cellar clubs of Dallas and Ft. Worth.
Bruce met Tommy Shannon and Uncle John Turner in the Summer of 1970, and moved to San Francisco to be one of the founding members of Krackerjack. It was there he met Keith Ferguson (Fabulous Thunderbirds) resulting in a close lifelong friendship. Bruce then moved back to Austin for a brief period, then went with Uncle John Turner and Roy Cox to Houston, to form “Rattlesnake” with guitarist Benny Valerio, but decided after three months to return to Austin, where he joined Blackbird, which featured a talented local guitarist by the name of Stevie Ray Vaughan. Tommy, Uncle John, Stevie, Robin Sylar and Bruce decided to resurrect
Krackerjack; the band became one of the most popular in the State.
 Later, Bruce became one of the founding members of the “Texas Sheiks,” with Jack Morgan, Keith Ferguson, and Uncle John Turner. He returned to Dallas with Jack Morgan where they worked in several bands together, such as “Roscoe.” He also teamed up with Smokin’ Joe Kubek in groups such as “The Pinch” and “Smokin & Butane’s Insane Blues Thang.” He later performed with guitarist Kim Davis (PointBlank) in the “Electrics” and another reformed version of the “Texas Sheiks of Rhythm and Blues.”
Bruce teamed up with guitarist Jay Kustka in Boston in Flight 505 and performed around the Boston area for three years before returning to Dallas, where he joined his old friend Kenny Barker’s band.
Bruce is currently working with the reformed Krackerjack Band with other original band members Tommy Shannon, Uncle John Turner, Mike Kindred and John Stahely. They just recorded their first record – thirty four years after first performing together. The record is set to release in the second or third quarter of 2005.
Photo Credit: Mara Alexander & Tejas Media Productions
Email Bruce
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