Tim Duffy, Music Maker Foundation’s Executive Director, visited Earnest Roy in Mississippi, and as a result, Roy became the first musician to record at the Music Maker Studio in Fountain, NC. Born in 1958 in Clarksdale, MS, Earnest "Guitar" Roy followed in the footsteps of his father, Earnest Roy Sr., a legendary bluesman in Clarksdale. He formed his first band at 14, which led to his being regular performer on Soul Train. In 1989, he recorded his first single through Rooster Records. He has worked as a supporting guitarist for Albert King, played drums for Big Jack Johnson, and served as both lead guitarist and drummer for Frank Frost. He spent a decade performing with televangelist and pastor Rod Parsley until 2001, when he returned to his blues roots to play alongside drummer Sam Carr. In 2006, he recorded the first of four albums released to date, and since then, he has remained a visible presence on the blues circuit. Jimbo Mathus produced and collaborated on the instrumentation and songwriting for "This Is Earnest "Guitar" Roy", an album through which the Music Maker Foundation has reintroduced to fans a truly contemporary and modern bluesman. The songs on the album are a testament to Roy’s Delta roots. original southern electric blues, his guitar playing not only delivers electrifying riffs but also reflects the deep roots he proudly claims.
Roy is a bluesman who embodies what blues music can be today: tradition, legacy, and revision.