Wes Mackey

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Blues Legend Wes Mackey

Wes Mackey learned to play the guitar from the seasoned old blues players of the deep South where he was born and raised. Part Cherokee he grew up in a rural area where his father was a Baptist preacher and sharecropper who also worked at the local fishing club. He eventually moved to Augusta, Georgia and began working in small juke joints and dusty honky tonks where his first “professional” gig paid 50 cents and a chicken sandwich.

He soon found himself playing in the local bands that backed up touring greats like Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Reed, Stevie Wonder and many others. Affectionately known as Static for his troublesome stutter he spent many years on the road. Where many of his contemporaries from the south migrated to cities like Chicago Wes’ path took a different course and he eventually moved to Canada.

He settled on the east coast, had a family and established a solid career. Aside from performing in bands he became a semi-regular on CBC TV’s Performance and played with Canadian icons like Gordie Tapp and Dutchy Mason.

For a while Mackey faced some deeply troubling challenges and was forced to drop out of the music scene entirely. When he was finally ready to get back on stage he felt like he had to start all over again. There were some artistic compromises but in order to keep working he had to become an eclectic player, started to sing and took up the foot bass pedals. In the long run however it helped Mackey to develop his unique and sometimes undefinable style. It took some time but he went from working those dusty honky tonks of the past, to five star venues like the incredible Island Shangri-La in Hong Kong. His travels took him far and wide including Russia, Malaysia, and Iceland.

Wes Mackey, the blues legend, now calls Vancouver home and we are lucky to have him perform here at Capones in downtown Vancouver.

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