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32nd International Blues Challenge
6th Street Blues Band
Smoky Mountain
Blues Society
The 6th Street Blues Band formed
in the early summer of 2015 because
Aaron Karney, John Hooper,
and Roland Pullen shared an interest
in playing in a blues band.
The band played several gigs in
2015, at Chattanooga’s Barking
Legs Theater, Bessie Smith Hall,
and other venues. Acoustic guitar
was the first love for Aaron,
and he has worked hard on his
electric blues lead and rhythm
guitar playing. John (bass) and
Roland (drums) play with natural
rhythm and instinct for time. Chelsea
Ketchersid enjoys singing and
writing music, and her smooth
vocals push the band along.
A.J. Fullerton
Mile High Blues Society
A.J. Fullerton is a 20-year-old
blues/roots artist from rural western
Colorado. Playing guitar since
the age of 14, he has steadily
built a reputation around Colorado,
as well as out of state, by
spending most of his time on the
road touring. A.J. is most wellknown
for powerful, gritty, but
soulful vocals. His instrumental
style is centered around his nimble
fingerpicking and raw bottleneck
slide and the steady thump
of his homemade stomp box. Living
alone on the road and getting
by with whatever he makes at his
shows, A.J. lives an authentic, doit-yourself
approach to the blues
that comes through in his music.
Alex Oatman
DC Blues Society
Alex Oatman, age 16, lives in
Ocean City, Maryland. He began
playing drums at age 5 and guitar
at age 7, and is mostly selftaught.
At the age of 13, Alex
played both drums and guitar
with a local band, even filling in
for the drummer for an entire gig.
Since then Alex has played numerous
venues around Ocean
City. A true gearhead, Alex also
enjoys the mechanics behind
the music, and has recorded,
mixed, and mastered two original
albums on which he sang and
played all parts. Alex loves many
styles of music, but he is most at
home playing rock and blues. His
strongest influences come from
Queens of the Stone Age, Gary
Clark Jr., and Foo Fighters. Music
is the driving force in his life.
Ally Venable Band
Houston Blues Society
A powerhouse from the Lone Star
State, the Ally Venable Band has
ignited the blues scene. Just four
years ago, 16-year-old Ally Venable
picked up the guitar, and she
has never looked back. Through
her vocals, songwriting, and onstage
presence, this female packs
a punch. Both of Ally’s bandmates
are versatile on multiple instruments.
Eighteen-year-old bassist
Zach Terry brings his passion and
energetic flair to every show, and
20-year-old self-taught drummer
Elijah Owings brings a steady but
dynamic beat that is the backbone
of their rockin’ blues sound. As
the 2015 East Texas Blues Band
of the Year, the Ally Venable Band
represents the future of blues.
32nd International Blues Challenge
YOUTH H 153