Back to main Applejack music page
Short Biography
Blues Power is most often found at the Saloon in San Francisco's North Beach, where we play almost every Sunday afternoon from 4 to 6 PM. Singer and harmonica player Applejack Walroth & guitarist Ron Butkovich have known each other since the 1960s in Chicago! (Our third founding member was world class saxophonist and arranger Hart McNee, who passed away in 2009 in New Orleans). After playing lots of blues gigs in the Chicago years, The three of us migrated to California in the late 60s and continued the tradition; we were all in and out of various bands, always staying in touch. Eventually we started the Wild Stolichnyas as the back up band for Michael Bloomfield in 1979. After Michael passed away, we started to call ourselves Chicago Blues Power, which eventually evolved into simply Blues Power. Applejack also played with the Elvin Bishop Group, Boz Scaggs R&B Review, Annie Sampson band, and many others (see discography and more info on my other pages). On bass, our secret weapon Johnny Ace (originally of New York City) provides that all important feel. Rick Sankey sets the grooves on drums. Although personnel of our North Beach Horns may vary from season to season, the usual suspects are Terry Forgette, baritone sax, and Doug Rowan, Nancy Wright, or Michael Pelonquin, tenor sax. Rick and Terry also hail from Chicago originally.
Many thanks to all of the fans who have supported us over the years!
We respectfully dedicate this page to our former band mates and members, may they rest in peace:
Michael Bloomfield - guitar
John Chambers - drums
Hart McNee -saxophones
Jim Overton - drums
Gino Skaggs - bass