About Me

I was born and raised in Atlanta, Texas. I learned to play guitar at an early age and then my greatest desire was to play harmonica with the guitar just like one of my inspirations, Jimmie Reed. I just gotta tell you that was the easy part, the hardest part was trying to put them together and sing. I sat on my behind until it was numb, without any feelings. My father put me outside because my feet trying to keep time with the music had the entire house moving up and down. In the yard the dirt could only blow in the air. I have played the music venue in Chicago in the sixties before moving back to Atlanta, Texas for a few years and then I moved to Marshall, Texas, met my wife and started my music career up again, this time for keeps. I founded the Jam City Revue Band and we are currently playing gigs all over Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana. My greatest desire is to play with some of the music greats such as, BB King, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, I guess that is the way her name is spelled, anyway she is a red head. I want to play with Buddy Guy or any talented blues musician. The city of Linden, Texas, home of Don Henley and the legendary, T-Bone Walker are having its first annual T-Bone Walker Blues Festival on June 17, 2006 at Texas Music City with Bobbie Oliver & Jam City Revue Band, opening act because Bobbie is aa native son of Cass County. This festival was a must see and Bobbie Mercy Oliver was told he did a stellar performance, all down his knees crawling around while playing and singing Howling Wolf's Killing Floor. The photo of him(Bobbie Mercy Oliver) crawling around on the stage was featured in the Linden,Texas News Paper along with the Star of the fest, Kebmo and son on drums, Miss Dee Dee Williams from San Antonio, Texas did an excellent job with her renditions. Kenny Wayne Sheppard from Louisiana was awesome along with the other talented musicians from other cities.My band and I will be performing at the Arkansas Blues Heritage, formerly King Biscuit Blues Festival in October on the emerging artist stage.. I'll get back with you with more updates and things.

I grew up in Atlanta, Texas with two brothers and nine sisters. We were share croppers picking cotton and other things farmers usually do

I taught my self how to play guitar and then harmonica by listening to records of such great legends as Jimmy Reed, Little Walter, Elmore James, Slim Harpo: all of these were delta blues performers. I learned my R&B from such legendary personalities as Chuck Berry, Sam Cooke, Chubby Checkers, Elvis Presley, Hank Ballard and many more.

I moved to Chicago where I had family and started my own blues band, Oliver Three ,that was doing the time Scratch My Back was made popular by Slim Harpo, I was one of the few if not the only one playing Scratch My Back just like the record. I moved back to Atlanta, Texas after a bitter divorce and I moved to Marsahll, Texas in 1993 where I met Mama, my wife, Eva and she persuaded me to start my music again and it has been on like a pot of Neckbones every since.I began playing with my first drummer, Eddie Royce Robbins and then his brother< Kenney joined us playing bongo's, congo's and percussions. The three of us played for family reunions and later added Mac Lower a slide guitarist from Tennesse and then along came Val Laughlin our lead guitarist and vocalist.

All of them have since left the band for various reasons including illness. Our band consist of Lady Phat Kat Faye a one ttme member of Blues Boy Willie's band, K.T. Turner bass and R&B music, Tim Harmon a well known key boardist, Bobbie"Mercy"Oliver on guitar, harmonica and vocals. Our part time players are C.W. Nicols on lead guitar from Texarkana, Texas and we are trying our best to persuade John Self not to go back to Iraq and play lead for us, he is a fantastic young blues guitarist who hails from Douglasville, Texas. Be sure and keep up wtih us on our website, click on gigs, gigs, gigs.

Bobbie Oliver

Strumming his guitar

Taking a break from work

I guess you could say I never take a break because when I am not on a stage performing I am in my Studio practicing or learning new lyrics. If I am not doing one of the two I am working on my next CD or playing dominoes, my pass the time relax your mind fun.

What a job!

My job is one of the hardest jobs in the universe, trying to manage a band and keep the same musicians. Since the band was founded we have had eight drummers. Everytime you lose a drummer or any muscians it sets the band back to starting over again, consuming too much time,valuable time which could be used for somethin more constructive. I have invented a few things in my life time, such as , a wood splitter, a huge can smasher, a pay-off machine used in the highline cable business, a wire stripper used by the cable company's, I made me a harmonica rack that allows me to sing, play guitar and walk or dance while palying it,(harmonica). I guess one could say I am a proffesor of all trades, includind auto mechanic and diesel repairman. So much for my job descriptions.

I love playing music as well as making music, I have written, produced and engineered two CD'S in my home studio. I love inventing things and I love reading the BIBLE and discussing the Word. My favorite pass time is dominoes.