For the Ladies
As a youngster in Vancouver, British Columbia, Redd Volkaert learned how to play guitar from his dad. By the time he was 16 he was playing in local bars and clubs in Vancouver. After an 8-year stint in Alberta he left the Great North woods for Los Angeles, playing clubs, teaching guitar, and working on demo sessions. Moving to Nashville in 1990, he began doing studio session work and road dates with artists like Ray Price, Lacy J. Dalton, Clinton Gregory, and Dale Watson, eventually winding up in Merle Haggard's band, The Strangers. In fact, out of a long line of prestigious players, Volkaert is the most critically acclaimed of Merle's guitarists. In 1998 HighTone Records released Redd's first solo adventure, Telewacker. Soon to follow was the critically acclaimed No Stranger To A Tele. Guitar Player Magazine stated: "With No Stranger To A Tele, Volkaert showcases his jaw-dropping musicality as he wantonly jumps between hardcore honky tonk, western swing, and rock." In 2000 Redd moved to Austin, Texas, and has quickly become a participant in its thriving live-music scene.