GEORGE GILLIAM

Gilliam is no newcomer to his instrument. In his hometown of Gary, Indiana, he began stage work as a professional musician with Wilton Crump and the Mellow Tones at only thirteen years of age. Always a leader, when he moved from Indiana to Chicago no one was surprised that Gilliam formed his own group called "The Rocking Soul Brothers." At that time his group featured a little-known vocalist by the name of Chaka Khan. Later, Gilliam continued adding his soulful, R&B guitar licks to a group he called "Jerry & the Chantells" using his nickname (Jerry). This all happened when he was just barely out of high school. Hungry to expand his musical knowledge, Gilliam attended Xavier University in New Orleans, where his interest in jazz peaked. What better place to hone your talents and embrace jazz than in "The Big Easy"? As a part of the Xavier University Jazz Ensemble and read more...