Upcoming Engagements
No shows booked at the moment.
“Smokin” Joe McBride
Born and raised in Fulton, MO, pianist/keyboardist/composer and vocalist Joe McBride began playing the piano at age four. His uncle Bake McBride was an outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cleveland Indians. His earliest influences were gospel music, bebop, straight-ahead jazz, Motown, and ’70s R&B and funk.
As a teenager, he began singing and playing at jazz clubs. Around this time, McBride was stricken with a degenerative eye disease that eventually claimed his sight, but his passion for music didn’t diminish. He continued his musical studies at the Missouri School for the Blind and Webster University in suburban St. Louis, where he majored in jazz performance. He also attended the University of North Texas.
McBride also performs an incredible program that pays tribute to “Brother Ray.” His interpretations of Ray Charles’ classics have been internationally received here in the United States, Europe, Israel and South Africa. Joe’s classic recorded and performed repertoire of originals and classics include: “An Evening In Dallas,” “Walking In Rhythm,” “Woke Up This Morning” (Theme to the Sopranos), “In The Moonlight, ” “Never Be Lonely,” and “Crazy.”