Down South 78

Blues & Rock n Roll from Tupelo, Mississippi, the North East corner of the state. 
Jammin on  originals Too Many Tears in Mississippi, ShakeRag, 78, Time For One More Song, and other traditional blues and early rock n roll influenced tunes, plus we do our own versions of our favorites from Lightnin Hopkins, Elvis Presley, Howlin Wolf, Carl Perkins, Muddy Waters, Johnny Cash, Memphis Slim, Jimmy Reed and even some Jimmie Rodgers and Led Belly..  

James Pirkle - vocals/ harmonica/ lead guitar, Brian West - keys/ lefthand bass, vocals, Tina Anderson - Vocals, Derrick Jerrod Bogan - Drums

James known as the percolator on his harmonica and guitar and has been a local blues singer around Tupelo since the early 70s, previously toured with Speck Roads and other tours.  

Brian grew up in a family of musicians related to Mississippi Slim, James Ausbon. He started playing at a young a age, had his own teen band called Witching Hour which won many talent contests and performed often around Oxford, MS and Memphis. He studied classical guitar and piano from a young age then continued studying music at Itawamba Community College and at the University of Memphis where he also studied Music Business and Rock n Roll History under professor Bob Tucker who was an agent for Jerry Lee Lewis and a member of the Bill Black Combo. During college Brian began playing often on Beale Street in Memphis with various blues bands and jam bands such as Yow, doing shows with Dave Mathews and others. After college he moved on to the San Francisco Bay area and there worked with recording projects produced by Montrose, Ruben Ramirez, Bob Geddins, Johnny Gunn (songwriter for Eddie Money and Tommy Castro). He also has performed with Al Wilson, The Drifters, Freddie Hughes, Fryed Brothers, Jackson Stone, Tim Murphy, Duwayne Burnside, Hendrix cousin Tony Simon(band leader for the Drifters) and Jewell Ausbon. He's opened for Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hank Williams Jr., Rascal Flatts, Chris Cagel, Emerson Drive, Rick Derringer, Jo Dee Mesina, Tracy Byrd, Vern Gosdin and JJ Cale and performed all over the US, in Japan and the Philippines. .  

Tina Anderson - Singer/ Songwriter -  from Blythville, AR with us doing some great origials and covers from.

Derrick Bogan, the bands drummer is one of the hottest new young drummers around the MidSouth. He grew up in a family of gospel musicians and playing in studios around the South.  

Brian's brother also has been a member of the band as guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for many years, Kenneth Ray West. He's currently in the Philippines, but will be rejoining the band soon. Ray won the Tupelo GumTree Songwriters Contest in Tupelo, MS leading to invites to perform at Nashville's Blue Bird Cafe. He' s also worked on the west coast with Brian in a previous band called TakeWest where they played in Hollywood, up and down the coast. Ray also has done studio work for artists in Oakland, CA and at Sound Emporium in Nashville. He played on Dusty Burke's CD - The Way It's Gotta Be, including the hit Oklahoma Angel. Ray also performed with Tim Murphy. His favorite thing is songwriting, has over 300 written now, influenced by artists such as Paul Simon, Justin Hayward and the Beatles. He also has a degree in music from Northeast Mississippi Community College.  

Down South 78 is North Mississippi Blues & Rock n Roll with a little Traditional Outlaw Country mixed, but doing our their own thing, all about Tupelo, Mud Creek, East side of the Tracks, Cotton Picking, Tornado Alley, the Bad Times and the Good Times! The Happy Blues and the Sad Blues! 
Influences - Jimmie Rodgers, JJ Cale, Muddy Waters, George Jones, Howling Wolf, Lightnin Hopkins, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Skynyrd and of course Elvis..  
When the band isn't on the road, you can find them often at the community event Tupelo Acoustic Jam held twice a month in downtown Tupelo at Fairpark by the Elvis statue.. jamming!