Chuck Prophet

Chuck Prophet is the least-heralded guitar player of the '80s and '90s, with songwriting skills to match his prodigious instrumental talent. Born in the mid-'60s in Southern California, Prophet first made his mark as the young guitarist in L.A.'s Green on Red, a forerunner of the paisley underground movement; however, Green on Red's attack was inspired more by American apple pie than psychedelics. After disbanding finally in 1992, Prophet began to focus all attention on the solo career he started with 1990's Brother Aldo (Fire). Prophet's devotion to roots music is for its sources, but he also sounds inspired by Bob Dylan's lyrics and Keith Richards' and Eric Clapton's guitars; his voice bears a resemblance to Tom Petty's. He followed with Balinese Dancer in 1993 and Feast of Hearts in 1995. Prophet earned positive critical attention on these shores, but his greatest success came overseas. Throughout his solo career, he's worked with legends and inspirations from Bob Neuwirth to Jim Dickinson to Billy Swan, as well as beat poet Hubert Huncke and Austin guitarist Calvin Russell. He maintained a friendship with legendary Memphis sessionman and songwriter Jim Dickinson, with whom Prophet collaborated on a live recording, A Thousand Footprints in the Sand. The band he's used most consistently is Anders Rundblad (bass), Paul Revelli (drums), Max Butler (guitar), and Stephanie Finch on keyboards. Finch is Prophet's partner, and they've worked together since Brother Aldo. In 1997, Prophet came through with Homemade Blood (Cooking Vinyl), a live-in-the-studio set that brings home the talents of a mature guitarist, songwriter, and singer. Three years later, he followed up with a Hightone collection of new original material, The Hurting Business, which helped show that he was still going strong. The album was a huge critical success, and he followed it up with another praised effort, 2002's No Other Love. Prophet co-produced his 2004 effort Age of Miracles with former Captain Beefheart associate Eric Drew Feldman. Soap and Water followed in 2007.