Denny Snyder

Artist profile

Born and raised in South Bend, Indiana at the end of the rust belt just an hour and some minutes from downtown Chicago, Illinois.  Denny picked up his first guitar at the age of twelve, and decided it the thing was for him. 

With the aid of his parents, a Gibson les Paul Junior landed in his lap.  By his mid-teens, he was playing locally in any type of band that would let him join them on-stage.

During this period, he not only met, but learned from the best bluesmen Chicago had to offer.  Playing with Luther Allison, Lefty Diz, Johnny Dollar and a host of others, he was inspired to always give his best.  From the first time Luther Allison called him to the stage at the age of eighteen at a club called Vegetable Buddies, he never looked back. 

Leaving Indiana for Phoenix, to Chicago, them back to his home state of Indiana, he found himself with seven CD’s to his credit.  Five electric guitar releases as Southside Denny, and a great acoustic guitar inspired him to record two original acoustic albums.

With Southside Denny & the Skintones, two CD’s were released, one of which featured Sugar Blue, a harp player whose career included playing for the Rolling Stones.  The third electric release highlights one of Chicago’s best rhythm sections, and the tour which spanned a big chunk of the US of A and Canada, and also garnered much praise. 

Rendez-Vous Blues and Moving On represent his love of electric blues, and he showcased it on these two albums.  Both live in studio recordings, he hoped to capture the energy and honesty of playing in a live setting.  Singles from these discs are still getting airplay to date, most notably Slidin’, The Buttkicker, and Still Got the Blues.

Eclectic, the first acoustic release and Roots and Branches, his second, demonstrated sides of Denny that were new and surprising to many.  Because the recordings were so straightforward they are a good representation of where he has grown as an artist.

In 2007, Denny relocated twenty minutes from the east side of Montréal, the coolest city in North America.  He is currently working on the next album, while continuing to play throughout North America.