(SANTA ANA, ORANGE COUNTY, CA) – 10-year old Orange County-based prodigy Ray Goren has been added to the lineup of the Real Blues Festival Of Orange County 2. The Orange County-based youngster came to the attention of Real Blues founder Papa J while he was performing live recently on Dr. Barry’s Traveling Medicine & Blues Show heard each Sunday over KOCI 101.5 FM. Ray will be performing at Real Blues Festival 2 (his first-ever live performance in Orange County) with longtime L.A. blues keyboardist, Deacon Jones. A brief bio. of Ray Goren:
Ray Goren started playing guitar about two and a half years ago at the age of 8. Ray discovered the Blues when he was searching on YouTube and inadvertently typed “BB” instead of “JJ”, stumbling on a B.B. King video clip. Ray was mesmerized and within hours was listening to Albert King, B.B .King, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Clapton and others. For the days and weeks that followed Ray spend hours listening to blues while begging his parents for a guitar.
Within days of getting his first guitar Ray was actually playing the Blues. It was as if he had reconnected with a long-lost friend. Six months later Ray played live for the first time, sitting in with Harmonica player Mason Casey who spontaneously called Ray to the stage. Since then Ray has been a regular on the Southern California Blues scene. He has played twice at the House of Blues in Hollywood; has appeared twice on Foxxhole with Jamie Foxx at the Conga Room; appeared at the KJAZZ Long Beach Blues Festival; and at numerous local venues. He has also participated in the local Blues society’s annual “Six String Show Down” with other top guitarists based in Southern California.
Eighteen months ago Ray was invited to sit-in with Hammond B3 Legend Deacon Jones (band leader for Freddie King and John Lee Hooker). Since then, Ray has become a regular part of Deacon’s band. The connection between Ray and Jones illustrates the power of Blues music by defying age and time. Deacon is convinced that Ray has been here before because “no kid can play the Blues like Ray.”
It is seriously awesome to see this little guy rock so hard! Kids are amazing me these days with how quick they pick up these instruments. They are only going to get better to better and there will be a few that will eventually put even the classic blues players to shame.
Thanks for posting, we sure do appreciate it!!!!