Pittsburgh's Own Bubs McKeg

Posted by Blues Society of Western Pennsylvania - Maria K Saturday, April 7, 2012 11:35 PM

Bubs McKeg is an award winning blues singer, guitarist, songwriter, and performing artist. He is known for his soulful voice and finger-picking blues guitar. Bubs has been a fixture in the Pittsburgh music scene since the 1960's entertaining rock and blues fans for over fifty years.

Born Bob McKeag, Bubs started playing professionally as a teen in the 1960’s with the “Igniters". The Igniters were Pittsburgh’s first 1960’s era R&B band to release a single on a national label. In the summer of 1963 two 14 year-old guitar players "Bubs" McKeag and "Little Joe" Arena started jamming together in Penn Hills. McKeag and Little Joe recruited drummer Bill Flowers and bass player Joe Santivica to join them. The Igniters became a popular live band. Performing to packed houses at their regular teen gig at Oakmont’s Varsity House, they played R&B and blues. Later in 1963, calling themselves “Inflammable Dan and the Igniters" they released the single "High Flyin' Wine" that was written by radio DJ Charlie Apple. With Apple's help it received local radio airplay. Little Joe Arena left the band in 1965 and was replaced by Bubs’ grade school friend singer Frankie Czuri. Upon their graduation from Penn Hills High in 1966, the Igniters signed with promoter Pat DiCesare who booked gigs for them throughout the region. Constantly on the road performing, they earned a decent living.
In 1968 Atlantic records signed the Igniters to a contract, making them the second white band on the label after the Rascals. Insisting that the Igniters change their name to Jimmy Mack and the Music Factory Atlantic released their first single, a pop soul tune, “Baby I Love You" in 1968. It received airplay on some stations across the country. It made it to number #41 on WAVZ in New Haven, Conn. Changing their name again to “The Friends” they recorded two original songs on Atlantic that went unreleased. They continue to perform live around the Pittsburgh area and at a regular gig at a club called Psychedilly. They called it quits in 1970. Frank Cruzi joined the Jaggerz. Bubs and Joe Santivica joined the Navy.
Fresh from his Navy gig in 1974, Bubs was ready to rock again. Hooking up with Frank Cruzi again, Bubs joined with Norman Nardini and Robbie Johns to form the rock band, Diamond Reo. Working with producer Tom Cossie, Diamond Reo recorded a demo tape at East Liberty's Red Fox Studio and sent it off to Atlantic Records. The Atlantic subsidiary, Big Tree Records released Diamond Reo’s first album “Diamond Reo” in 1975. Scoring a top 40 hit with Bubs singing the lead on a version of the Marvin Gaye song, "Ain't That Peculiar" the band launched a national tour. They appeared on Dick Clark's "American Bandstand" and performed with Kiss, Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, Frank Zappa, Kansas, Ian Hunter, Blue Oyster Cult, and Canned Heat. After Diamond Reo left the Atlantic label, Bubs left Diamond Reo. The band went on to record two more albums before their breakup in 1978.
After leaving Diamond Reo, Bubs recorded as a solo artist under the name “McKeg” on Buddah Records and Phantom Records. He released the single ‘Gimme Some’ / ‘Our Love’ on Buddah Records in 1977 that reached the top forty. Joining with James Lawson, Bubs formed the "McKeg Lawson" band. They became a well-known act in the Pittsburgh blues scene. In 1994 James Lawson lost his battle with cancer. Bubs kept the "McKeg Lawson" band going for five more years. Since that time he has been performing under his own name and writing and recording blues.
Twice, Bubs has won the he Blues Society of Western Pennsylvania’s International Blues Challenge for solo/duo artist. He won the award as a solo artist in 2009, and as a duo with Doc Blue (Dr. Jeff Coben) as a duo in 2008. Bubs performed at the 30th Annual Helsinki Blues Heritage Festival in Finland. In 2007 he placed fourth in the blues category in Finland's international songwriting competition. 




~ Jack Thompson 


http://sites.google.com/site/pittsburghmusichistory/


*On a personal note, Bubs is a dear friend who goes out of his way to help others. He and his wife, Judy, are generous, kind and giving of their time and talents to many worthy causes. Bubs is also fun to be around, loves to laugh, and it is truly an honor to call him a friend. He is still one of the consummate blues guitar and slide guitar players and vocalists in the Pittsburgh and surrounding regions. He helps run a fantastic blues jam every Saturday from 4 to 8pm at the Inn Termission on E. Carson Street on Pittsburgh’s historic South Side. It is well worth the time to go and see Bubs perform live at the jam, and with the Igniters, who are once again becoming a popular draw in the blues music scene. 


~ Marcy Brown