George Bedard

by Craig HarrisGeorge Bedard has been a seminal figure on the Michigan roots rock scene for more than 20 years. A member of the Silvertones in the 1970s and Tracy Lee & the Leonards in the 1980s, Bedard has been increasingly attracting the attention that his energetic guitar playing and gutsy vocals deserve as leader of his own band, the Kingpins. Goldmine recently called Bedard one of the best rockabilly pickers on the planet, while Record Roundup wrote Bedard may not become the next trendy thing, but as far as this kind of music, hes already the next cool thing. The Kingpins, featuring Randy Tessier on bass and Rich Dishman on drums, have developed a reputation as one of Michigans best bands since their formation in the early-90s. Their debut album, Upside, was named Blues Album of the Year by CD Review in 1992. Upon the albums release, Guitar Player referred to it as a brainy composite of blues phrasing and rockabilly bad-boy twang. Their second album, Hip Deep, followed in 1997.