Aim to Please

Luther and his Healers know the cure for what ails most local bands

Comments (0) By Mike Emery Thursday, Jul 19 2001

Following college, Luther came with a girlfriend to Houston in 1980 and never left. After toiling as a bartender and bar manager, he played his first gig in 1990 and has maintained a presence on the scene ever since. Early on, he was able to share bills with an assortment of legends. Among those were Albert Collins and another fellow lefty by the name of Albert King.

"I had studied his style so much, it was a thrill to meet him," says Luther. "He watched us from the side of the stage. I'd hit one of his licks, and he'd lower his glasses and look at me, smoking his pipe, you know? Then he invited me to go to Europe with him, but he passed away not long after that, so it never happened."

Luther wants to keep it pure but carry it forward.

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Soon after the release of his live CD, Luther will lay bare his artistic vision with a studio CD. This project fills him with excitement. "I want to maintain the integrity of the blues masters, but take the sound completely forward. Kind of like Robert Cray, although I don't see myself sounding like him." he says.

For now, he's doing his best to make sure the band remains gainfully employed. Never an easy task in this town. But Luther knows the secret to success.

"I know the formula," he says. "A lot of bandleaders don't understand it. The bottom line is, a lot of times it doesn't matter how good your band is. If that cash register is filled by the end of the night, you're gonna get another gig. I just have to make sure it happens every time we play."