JAMES "CURLEY" COOKE
Curley's 40-year career in the music business started in Wausau, Wisconsin, playing with local bands and going on the road in the midwest in 1963-1964. ThenCurley moved down to southern Wisconsin and worked in Madison where he met Steven Miller, Tracy Nelson, Ben Sidran, Tim Davis, and many other great musicians. He worked with Steve Miller in San Francisco where he was a founding member of the Steve Miller Band in 1966-67. Following their performance at the historic "Monterey Pop Festival," Curley became quite ill and had to leave the band and return to the Midwest to recoup. He returned to the Bay area in 1968 and performed with his own group, Curley Cooke's Hurdy Gurdy Band, and in 1969 he was a member of the Abeskhy Band, who were signed to MGM. From 1968-1971 Curley continued his association with Steve Miller, performing West Coast dates, recording on his albums, and working for his production company. In 1974 Curley completed a major tour with Miller and recorded tracks for the legendary albums Fly Like an Eagle and Book of Dreams. During these years he also performed and/or recorded with such greats as Chuck Berry, Jerry Garcia, Ben Sidran, John Lee Hooker, James Cotton, Freddie King, Boz Scaggs, and many others.

From 1975 through 1982 Curley was a recording and traveling member of the Ben Sidran Band; had his own group in Seattle, The Cats 'n the Fiddle; and recorded a solo album on First American Records, Gingerman. At that point in his life he stopped performing and went to college, moved to Southeast Asia in 1985, and remained there teaching English and performing in Korea, Hong Kong, and Thailand until his return to the U.S. in 1993. He quickly re-established his stateside performing career and was voted "Best Acoustic Guitar" by the members of the Washington Blues Society in 1995. He won this award again in 2001.

Curley is a seasoned music instructor whose experience includes developing and teaching courses in community colleges, designing a Blues Guitar instructional book, presenting guest lectures, and providing private instruction. He also is the founder of a highly successful non-profit organization called Pacific Northwest Blues in the Schools, which presents a full music instruction program to students in middle schools, high schools, and correctional facilities.