Moe:  Welcome, Greg, to Urban Mogul Magazine.  We take so much pride in the fact that you are interviewing with us today.  Tell us a little about you and where you are from.

Greg: I grew up on a farm in South Central Pennsylvania, in the foot hills of the Appalachian Mountains.  I had one older brother and lots of animal friends.  I spent 26 yrs in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania after attending college there and getting married.  I raised two children and moved to Northern Jersey, which is about 30 miles from Manhattan.  I lived there for five years and then relocated to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where I have been for the past 13 years.

Moe:  You’re such an incredible musician and artist.  At what age did you realize that you were musically inclined? 

Greg:  When my older brother’s girlfriends would ask me to sing the latest pop tunes.  I must have been around seven or eight.

Moe:  What is it about the Blues and Soul that you find so intriguing?

Greg:  Oh absolutely everything. I love the freedom, the rawness and how the rhythm feels.  I also love the bass lines. 

Moe:   How many instruments do you play?

Greg:  Guitar, bass guitar, drums, keyboards, harmonica and the slide resonator.  I played everything on both Empty and A Real Man as real time overdubs with no quantinization.

Moe:   Who are your musical influences?

Greg:  BB King, Elmore James, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Robert Cray and Bo Diddley.

Moe:   Tell me about your band. Where do you typically perform?

Greg:  For the past two years I have been doing a solo every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night at The Gulf Stream Café, in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.  My show runs from 6pm-10 pm. Prior to that I performed anywhere from three to five nights a week at The Pier at Garden City, in Garden City, South Carolina.  That was a four year gig.

Moe:   What was it like for you to be inducted into the Underground Blues Hall of Fame?

Greg: It was an honor and quite unexpected.  You can find the details on the induction on my personal MySpace page. I will provide the link at the end of the interview.

Moe:   You currently have 2 CD’s available right now, "Blue Roses," and "A Little Sexy's Alright." You have made quite a buzz in the United States and overseas and I can certainly see why.  What are you working on currently?

Greg: Almost finished with my 3^rd CD as yet untitled.  I would like to add a couple of more tunes before I release it.

Moe:   Who are you listening to currently?

Greg:  Robert Cray, John Mayer, Gary Clark Jr. and Joe Bonamassa.

Moe:   You’re such an intense musician.  What does it mean to you to have the opportunity to create such beautiful, soul stirring music?

Greg:  Thank you.  It’s such a release for me. It is certainly very therapeutic.   I’m just a conduit.

Moe:   Where would you like to go from here?  I mean, if you had your choice of venues to play at, where would you love to perform?

Greg:  I have always enjoyed the smaller venues and being close to the audience. The big events are great, but for me, you lose the intimacy. I tend to feed off people’s faces in the crowd.

Moe:  What is your favorite original song and why does it mean so much to you?

Greg:  Empty is my favorite.  To me it’s the true essence of Blues.  In this case the man and woman are moving on but yet still supportive.  I am especially happy with the song arrangement, which has a Jazz overtone.  Empty has my favorite line,“Sometimes I get so Empty I can’t even sing the Blues.”

Moe:  How would you define yourself as an artist?

Greg: Progressive Bluesman.

Moe:  What has been your biggest challenge in life and how did you overcome it?        

Greg: To get back up after you’ve been knocked down and continue moving forward.   If you truly love what you do, it makes that much easier to move on.

Moe:  Greg, what makes a good musician/artist a great musician/artist?

Greg:  Being the spark, the catalyst, the one that inspires others to take risks beyond the ordinary.

Moe:  What is your dream for the future, musically or otherwise?

Greg:  To make people happy, to continue to be lucky enough to support myself and my family with my music.

Moe:  I always ask every person I interview to share words of wisdom.  There is a lot going on in the world today.  What advice would you give to any up and coming mogul/musician/artist?

Greg:  Decide who YOU are and what you stand for. All too often, I see artist’s floundering because they have no direction and no anchor.  Be passionate. You have to share part of your innermost thoughts and feelings and not be afraid.

Moe:  Where can we go to purchase your music?

Greg: My first 2 CD’s “Bue Roses” and “A Little Sexy’s Alright” are available on most download sites such as, Itunes, Walmart and CDBaby. However, I prefer direct contact at GregBowmanBlues@aol.com.    The CD’s are available for $12.99 plus Shipping & Handling.

Moe:  For booking opportunities and to contact you directly, what are the best ways to do so?

Greg: GregBowmanBlues@aol.com.

Moe:  Greg, the floor is yours.  Do you have any closing remarks or statements this time?

Greg:  I thank you Moe and your organization for this wonderful opportunity.  I appreciate it greatly.

Moe:  Thank you so much for sharing your incredible story with us.  Urban Mogul Magazine wishes you nothing but the best that life may offer you and your family.

You may learn more information about Greg Bowman on the following sites:

www.reverbnation.com/gregbowman

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Greg-Bowman-Blues/75095494615 

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1611094817  

To read more on his induction in the Underground Blues Hall of Fame, please visit:

http://www.myspace.com/henrysblueshalloffame/photos/20113457#%7B%22ImageId%22%3A6199028%7D