103.9 The FOX is known for playing the Blues on Sunday Mornings. Flint’s own Sweet Willie Tea keeps that tradition rockin’ from 8 to 10am with Buick City Blues!
Willie is the long-time President and Chairman of the Board of the Detroit Blues Society and is excited to be a part of the 103.9 The FOX family, bringing his take on the Blues to his hometown. As a musician and founder of the legendary Buckham Alley Theatre, his journey has seen him on many different stages and the opportunity to be on the radio stage promises a new chapter in a long career!
He began playing guitar as a teenager, and in the 1980s released an album with the punk rock band “Toll”. In the 90s he had some radio success as front man for the Blues/Rock show band “City Zoo”. Their “Something for Everyone” release included the single “Talk Louder”, the classical crossover instrumental “25 Strings”, and the popular “Buick City Blues”, all three of which received airplay. “Talk Louder” eventually charted at #15 on the AAA charts.
Then an accident left Willie’s left hand paralyzed. Though he never missed a performance date, Willie depended on a brace to hold his fingers in place on the guitar as he learned to play the piano and harmonica. After a long year as a one-handed musician his arm slowly began to mend and Willie was able to “relearn” how to handle the guitar. That year of uncertainty inspired Willie to “never take a moment of life or music for granted”.
He decided to focus exclusively on recording, playing, sharing, and promoting the Blues.
Since then, Willie has been a regular feature of the SE Michigan Blues scene and a fixture in the summer outdoors at Bert’s in the Eastern Market. He shared the stage with acts as diverse as Styx, Ten Years After, Canned Heat, Roger Miller, Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Steven Page (Barenaked Ladies) and many, many more. He has performed at venues from Key West to Canada. Whether on Delta-style bottleneck slide steel, 6 and 12-string acoustic, cigar box, diddly bow, or electric guitars, ukulele, harmonica, or keyboards, either solo as a “Willie the One-Man-Band” or with “Sweet Willie and the Tea Bones”.
