1. If could introduce yourselves for us, who are you?
Lionel WERNERT: Let me introduce you Lee O’Nell Blues Gang. I’m the guitarist, leader and composer of the group and decided to form it in 2019. My wife is the female voice and the lyrics writer of this 5 pieces Blues Rock band coming from Reims, France.
2. How did you all meet?
Lionel: I play guitar for more than 40 years now, and thanks to my old best friend, my brother of heart Fred CHAPELLIER (N° 1 of French Bluesman) who has invited Gipsy and me as guests to one of his show, I finally decided to form Lee O’Nell Blues Gang in 2019. I already knew all the guys by their reputation here where we’re living, and I wanted guys who could be dedicated to my music without trying to change or arrange something in it. So I simply phoned them, talked about my project of a contemporary Blues Rock band, and they immediately accepted to join us for this new adventure ! Less than 6 months after this phone call, I brought them to the studio with 10 original songs, and we now have recorded and produced 2 albums. « Different Shades Of
Love » released in September 2020 and « This is us » released in september 2022.
Gipsy BACUET: Lionel is the only composer and I wrote the lyrics helped by very close friends, cause English is not my native language ! Neal WALDEN BLACK, who is a texan . A wonderful guitarist and songwriter who is now living in France since the 90’s, but who used to be opener with his band for Stevie Ray Vaughan in the 80’s in USA. Alain LEADFOOT Rivet, a fantastic singer and songwriter too, a real poet with a wonderful American musical culture with so many stories to tell, because he was also booker for Peter Green for example… And the last but not least, the fabulous Jade MACRAE who is a soul Australian singer and backing vocalist for Joe BONAMASSA ! I’m very happy and proud to work with such artists…
Lionel : I wanted for my band some guys who came from different universes. I needed a real Rock drummer, a Blues Bass player, and a Classical and Jazz keyboard. It also took time for me to find the right voice , and since I met Gipsy who is my wife now, I knew wa had something to do together. She has a very large vocal range with
so many shades. She can be sassy, jazzy, soul, feline, rock powerful, strength … It’s very easy for me to compose with such a voice without asking me for the right tune !
3.How long have you been playing?
Lionel: I started to practice guitar with my brother of heart Fred CHAPELLIER, I was 11 years old, and he was 14 ! We used to not go to school sometimes to listen to Rainbow, Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy , Led Zeppelin etc… It was another time, and we had to slow down the vinyls again and again to listen and practice every riffs, every phrasing with a lot of attention to understand the sound of those great guitar players !
Gipsy: my journey in music is a little bit different because my parents brought me to a music school to get classical piano lessons since they found the good idea to buy a piano to decorate their house ! I didn’t appreciate this school rules: a kind of competition every year to have the chance to move up to the next level. So I stopped at the age of 12, and started to sing when I was 15 years old. But I get a big interest in Jazz female voices very soon, and I think I
keep that in my way of singing.
4. What three words would you use to describe the music you play?
Lionel : Contemporary / Blues / Rock
Gipsy: Feeling / Strength / Passion
5. What are your musical influences?
Lionel : As I told you, I grew up with all the 70’s rock legendary bands. So I think you can recognize some influences like Ritchie BLACKMORE, Gary MOORE for the rock universe, and regarding to the Blues: Eric CLAPTON, Albert KING, Peter GREEN, Joe BONAMASSA or Eric GALES who I appreciate so much their way to play and approach music. Gipsy: I’ve listened Sarah VAUGHAN, Billie HOLLIDAY, Etta JAMES, Bonnie RAITT, and some say that they can hear a little of Pat BENATAR in my way to sing…But generally speaking, Lionel and I , we aim to play our own style full of those influences and never trying to copy someone else.
6. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen during a show?
Lionel: There is no weirdest thing while a show,
maybe it could be the room acoustic sometimes, and the sound engineer which don’t know perfectly your universe, but things are going well…and we enjoy each show ! The audience is always very attentive and reactive to what we offer them.
7. Being away from the stages in the last few years, where was the first place you visited when the restrictions were lifted?
Gipsy: Oh, ti was such a sad and difficult period ! We took advantage of this time to compose and write our second album which is more dark than the first in the lyrics, trough the music too because of the general mood !
Lionel: And it was hard to play because of all the postponed concerts, we had to wait, but our first show was in our country and it was really like a big fiesta where everybody was happy to meet again each other !
8. What’s the one record you own but wouldn’t ever admit to owning?
Lionel: Haha !! None, I can tell you about each one without shame !
Gipsy: He said it all ! or maybe an old vinyl with French kids songs !!
9. What have you been listening in the last few weeks?
Lionel: « Crown » by Eric GALES. This album is fabulous !
Gipsy: « Just like that » by Bonnie RAITT, fantastic feeling…
10. Are there any releases you have planned in the near future?
Lionel: No, definitely not. We now have 2 albums to share on stage, to offer to Europa audience, and we will do that, even if the 3rd album is already in my mind and with Gipsy we are working on it !
Gipsy: Great shows will come soon, and we will start to play in Belgium, which is a good thing for us to enter the European Blues Rock industry. And a lot of radio shows in England, USA, Canada airplay our music…which is very important and much impactful than in France…
Lionel: Hope to meet you soon for a next show !
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