Freddie Roulette
Frederick Martin Roulette (May 3, 1939 – December 24, 2022) was an American electric blues lap steel guitarist and singer. He was best known as an exponent of the lap steel guitar. He was a member of the band Daphne Blue and collaborated with Earl Hooker, Charlie Musselwhite, Henry Kaiser, and Harvey Mandel. He also released several solo albums. One commentator described Roulette as an "excellent musician".
Freddie Roulette | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Frederick Martin Roulette |
| Born | May 3, 1939 Evanston, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | December 24, 2022 (aged 83) |
| Genres | Chicago blues, electric blues |
| Occupation(s) | Guitarist |
| Instrument(s) | Lap steel guitar |
| Years active | 1960s–2022 |
| Labels | Janus, Rykodisc, others |
A short documentary of Freddie Roulette appears on the video-sharing site YouTube that chronicles Roulette's time with the Daphne Blue Band. The online Blues encyclopedia, "All About Blues Music," describes Roulette's long tenure with the Daphne Blue Band and notes: "Freddie has also released an album, ‘Daphne Blue: Legendary Blues Instrumentals’ which contains 15 excellent tracks, which [Freddie] considers to be among his finest works."
The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) noted "Freddie Roulette pioneered the use of the slide guitar in the blues style. When he began playing slide guitar he was emulating country and western music and felt the instrument would fit nicely in old blues traditions, which he adapted to great success. In fact, his playing has been a strong influence on a new generation of blues musicians both for his strumming style and the emotion he has brought to the instrument." NAMM compiled an oral history of the artist on video.