Boz Scaggs

Boz Scaggs started experimenting with music at a young age and learned how to play the guitar at the age of 12. While attending high school he befriended Steve Miller and ended up singing vocals in Steve Miller’s band The Marksmen in 1959. Both Miller and Scaggs ended up attending the same university and played in several blues bands during their school years. After school Scaggs moved to London, UK and joined the R&B scene that was on the rise in London. After singing in several bands in London he moved to Switzerland and released his first album as a solo artist, “Boz”, which was released in 1965.

In 1967 Scaggs moved back to the US and settled in San Francisco where the psychedelic scene was starting to explode. While in San Francisco he reconnected with Steve Miller and performed on the Steve Miller Band albums “Children of the Future” and “Sailor”. In 1968 Scaggs was signed as a solo artist to Atlantic Records and released his self-titled album “Boz Scaggs” in 1969. The album received critical praise and included guest musicians like Duane Allman, Eddie Hinton, and David Hood.

Scaggs later signed to Columbia Records and released his third studio album “Moments” in 1971. The album conveyed Scaggs starting to define his unique sound in the blue-eyed soul genre. Scaggs continued to consistently put out albums in the early ‘70s and his album “Slow Dancer” showed Scaggs reaching the No. 81 position on the US Billboard chart.

With the release of his seventh studio album “Silk Degrees” in 1976 Boz Scaggs really broke into the mainstream. The album reached the No. 2 spot on the Billboard 200 chart and contained three top 40 singles: It’s Over”, “Lowdown”, and “Lido Shuffle”. The album would go on to be certified 5x platinum. “Silk Degrees” also contained performances by several of the members in Toto. The album nicely blended in blues, rock, and soul elements and presented it in a pop oriented way. The single “Lowdown” is still a staple for radio stations to play and the song won a Grammy Award for Best R&B song.

Boz Scaggs’ 1977 album “Down Two Then Left” was not quite as successful as “Silk Degrees”, but it still did well on the charts placing at No. 11 on the Billboard 200. In 1980 Boz Scaggs released the track “Look What You’ve Done to Me” on the “Urban Cowboy” soundtrack, which reached No. 14 on the US Pop charts.

Scaggs went on a hiatus for nearly the whole decade of the ‘80s and did not release his next album until 1988, which was called “Other Roads”. In the late ‘80s and early ‘90s Scaggs became involved with a musical side project called The New York Rock and Soul Revue, which featured the members Donald Fagen, Phoebe Snow, and Michael McDonald. Scaggs continues to release music that follows his signature sound as well as branches off by performing covers of well-known hits and jazz standards. Scaggs also stays busy in the live music scene. He is the co-owner of the San Francisco nightclub, “Slim’s”, as well as a consistent performer. He has headlined sold out shows all over the world, touring countries like the United States, Canada, and Japan.