Lou Derr & Bootleg

Lou Derr & Bootleg- Rockin’ Country Music

1.29.13 New Bio Updated

Lou Derr started playing in his garage with a few friends. CCR was the drive behind Lou's music. Lou eventually met John Fogerty and started working at the Factory in Berkeley Ca. Fogerty was Lou's idol and mentor. Lou learned every Fogerty guitar lick and developed his own style using Fogerty's style as the root. Lou is a straight forward guitar player. Not a lot of fancy stuff. Between Haggard and Fogerty you will find Lou Derr. Lou played in several bands of his own through high school and played 6 nights a week for almost 10 years. Moving up to Lake County Lou hooked up with a great bass player and showman Don "Big Daddy" Speer. Together with drummer Bill Leach they formed "3-way split" a 3 pc southern rock/country band. A Country power trio if you will. They played all around the lake for several years. In 1986 Lou decided he wanted a larger band like Hank Jr. and George Strait. So he formed "Lou Derr and Bootleg". Derr at that time rented a warehouse building and put in an 8-track studio and a music store. There is where Lou Derr recorded these 10 songs. Lou produced and released a 5 song video to enhance the audio cassette album. It was a great learning experience gaining Lou recognition from General manager Greg Bennett of Konocti Harbor Resort and Spa. They were a local draw that would help sell out the headliner concerts. Lou became friends with Waylon Jennings and opened for all his concerts there. Lou went to Nashville in 1990 to the calling from a producer there that was working for TNN- Don Dashiel. Don put Lou on a couple of TNN shows they had on back then. Several offers, record deals came Lou's way after the release and visit to Nashville but Lou did not have the start up money they wanted or financial backing. "I just didn't know anyone with the money to help me produce a record in Nashville to shop around" "I certainly was not going to let my Mom mortgage her home to cut me an album." I didn't think that was the way it supposed to be. I have since learned that everyone needs somebody to believe in them enough to put up the $$$ for the producers and payola that was required at that time in the music business. Thank God for the internet, now we can get our music out there and hopefully someone will listen. In 1994 Lou quit performing for almost 10 years disgusted with the way things were going in his personal life. He divorced and dropped off the radar until 2004, armed with a new family and new outlook on life and ready to start performing again. If you think it’s hard the first time, it is even harder the second time. I was so close to a deal and to think only money stood in my way, but living where I lived, there weren't many resources to pull from. So Lou started in the clubs again putting back together what band members weren't dead or moved away. Lou got his 5 pc band back together. This time I wanted to perform only big stuff like Concerts in the Parks, Rodeo Dances, Wineries, and Fairs. Opening for headliners was always fun but the pay sucked. I started a presence online by registering everywhere I could and in 2005 there weren't very many music sites for artists but it was growing. I have forgotten half of the sites I am listed with. And it is hard to make money online unless you really know what you are doing. I thought it would be easier than it is. My album is the only thing I got to sell along with t-shirts and hats and glossies. So I have been at it for 8 more years performing the jobs I choose to. I am ready and armed with some new songs and need to get into a studio. I have been offered a 1 CD deal with Tate Music Group out of Oklahoma City. But even that is going to cost me $$ that I don’t have. So I am writing all I can. I get inspired very easily now that I am older and more seasoned. My songs come to me in minutes instead of days. I figure that at this time I have enough love for the stage left in me to still put on a great show and get the audience back on their feet.

WEB WWW.MYSPACE.COM/LOUDERRBOOTLEG

Middletown Youth Football Fund Raiser

Posted on 08/17/2012 11:27AM | 0 Comment(s)

I hope we can pull everyone out for this event due to the fact that our kids that are active in sports need the support of everyone to enable them to compete with other kids their age. My son was in Football for 3 years and it was a great thing to see my boy grow into a little tiger out there. I believe too many kids mine included spend way too much time on the video games instead of being out there playing sports. Baseball, Football, Soccer, Basketball, Golf, whatever it is your child is interested in we need to support that. There are families that can't afford the expense of putting their child into one or more of these sports every year. It is rather a costly experience with special equipment to buy every year due to them growing like weeds and safety equipment like batting helmets, baseball gloves and bats along with shoulder pads, gloves, and personal protection items. Believe me there have been times when we ate beans for a week so that our kids could get the things they needed and sometimes required to play the sport. So, fund raisers like this are important to offset the expense of all the uniforms etc. so they can go out and be competitive and look good and be safe while playing and getting the exersise they so need. I hope someone reads this and decides yeah that they understand and come on out Sunday the 26th and help support Youth Football this time. Next time it might be something else. But one thing is for sure, We need to get our kids out there being active with other kids and getting the team building experience that is needed in todays world. Besides it's a nail biting experience watching your child out there doing his or her best to make you proud and and often times more worried about if you are watching them then paying attention to the game. Good Luck Hope to see you and your family on Sunday August 26th at Middletown Park. You won't regret it. And you will hear some good music by my band.

Lou Derr

River Rafting Gig Changed to August 27th 2011

Posted on 05/20/2011 07:00PM | 0 Comment(s)

I just wanted to let everyone know that we will be performing at the Cache Creek gig in August instead of May. They told me we will a lot more folks there and more of a Country Ass Kickin' Crowd on that weekend, So I said, For Sure!! So now we have plenty of time for you procrastinators out there to book your weekend. Hope to see you all there!

Airport Auto Brokers 25th Anniversary Bash 7/18/2009

Posted on 07/19/2009 11:44PM | 0 Comment(s)

Well I had a great time performing at AAB yesterday. It was 104 degrees out. But I was lucky enough to have a nice big fan in front of me the whole gig. We did three shows and watched everyone go through about 300 hot dogs. The sound was good and everyone in the band seemed to have a good time and we all hear each other. That makes a big difference.

There were free give-aways through out the day. My son James was trying his best to draw his own name to win the I-Pod shuffle they gave away. He has his own Mp3 player but I think he just likes winning drawings. I made a mistake in telling him how lucky I am in drawings and raffles. i remember the first time o won a raffle prize, I was about 10 years ols and we were vacationing at The Napa Valley Ranch Club. i won a bottle of Vermouth (big deal) but I thought it was like a bottle of wine or something i couldn't wait to get home and show my parents. Since then i have won many raffles.

All around it was a fun day and the music was enjoyed by many and some even danced in the sweltering heat. We were lucky to have a great cover over us, we never saw the sun yesterday. By the time we were done everyone had moved inside to the 70 degree showroom which felt like a refridgerated walkin compared to the outside, There was a big cake and face painting and a jumpy for the kids.

The Airport Auto Broker late model driving team was set up with their race cars. They will be racing in Ukiah on the 25th of July.

I had a good time. I am paying for it this morning though, boy was I stiff most of the day. I took a swim with my son awhile ago and it felt great since it is 107 in Upper Lake right now. Well got to go there is a Law & Order marithon on today and it's too hot for anything else. Thahnks everyone who came to the show....Lou

Rodeo Dance

Posted on 07/13/2009 11:18PM | 0 Comment(s)

All I can say is WOW ! what a party. The weather was not as hot as last year so it made it easier to play and everyone to have a more comfortable time parting with us. As far as the crowd goes well it would be hard to fit anymore bodies in that hall. We had the sound system cranking and we tried to tone it down the first show for the folks that rodeo ed out and wanted to relax and listen to some good country music. The second show started about the time the bull riding ended. We didn't want to loose anyone so we started right away as they were filing out of the grand stands. They filed right in to the hall and we had the music hopping for them. The crows was will and the dancers were great. i had a few visitor's up on the stage that evening including my son James and my niece Elizabeth (3yrs old) she had to give me a hug before she went home. Die hard dancers took over the front of the stage dance area showing off the "Electric slide" and "The Tush Push" and everyone watched then they decided to just start dancing. Jessica decided to jump on stage and show her stuff a bit as well (dancing that is). We did a non stop 76 minute set. The beer booth was going to close at midnight so we timed it just right to make sure everyone got there beers in order before we went up for the last show. The Johnny cash medley went well and I didn't want to stop it sounded so good to me. the CCR Nedley was just as powerful. All around a great night i hope they invite us back. This was our 5th year in a row and no one got bored with the songs. Pat Ickes played with us on pedal steel and electric strat (1957 issue) along with his blonde twin 1954, Pat sounded great! The whole band Paul, Randy, Adam, Mike, Charwin and pat sounded excellent to me. It was a fun night for me singing and playing. I can't wait to hear the live cd's Charwin recorded, I'll put some cuts on the site when I go through them. Jeff also shot some video so maybe some of that will end up on the site as well. Thanks guys and all that attended the show!!.....Lou

80th Lake County Rodeo Sat. July 11th 9pm WE PLAY

Posted on 07/10/2009 06:05PM | 0 Comment(s)

Well it's Friday night right now and i'm getting ready to go to the rodeo tonight. I am a little jittery about tomorrow nights gig. Although we have played for the last 4 years this rodeo is a special one it's the 80th and that's a mile stone for Lake County Rodeo Association. I am looking forward to performing. we will have paul on keys and Charwin on drums, Mike on Bass and Randy on guitar along with Adam on 12 string electric I am hoping pat will show up and play pedal steel and some leads with me. The sound will be strong and the place will be wild and packed. The beer flows freely on rodeo night in Lake County. I and looking forward to seeing a bunch of friends that will show up. I will be selling some freshly packaged "Santa Fe" CD's complete with the official booklet sleeve that Andy made up for me. The CD looks good can't wait to get the new one done with new songs. Anyways I hope everyone that can make it shows up and we will see everyone on Sat. night at about 9pm. Don't forget the 18th of July we will be at Airport Auto in Lakeport for their 25th Anniversary Bash. we start at Noon!! bring the kids and have a hot dog!!

See ya Rodeo fans!!........Lou

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