Born and raised in Galveston, Texas, Hamilton Loomis was surrounded by his parents' rock, blues and soul music. He honed his multi-instrumental talent on the drums, piano, guitar and harmonica. A protege of Bo Diddley, Loomis met the icon backstage at the age of 16 during a show in Houston. Diddley became a friend, mentor and collaborator. Loomis also points to mentors like Joe "Guitar" Hughes, Johnny "Clyde" Copeland, Gatemouth Brown and Arthur Collins when discussing his musical growth and the inspiration for his latest CD, "Give It Back."
Loomis played the Alex Johnson Ballroom in Rapid City on January 17 with his amazing band that includes Donte Ware (bass and vocals), Fabian Hernandez (saxophone, keyboards and vocals) and Armando Aussenac (drums). The concert was a presentation of the Black Hills Blues Society.