DaveWeld Bio

Born in Chicago in 1952, Dave was first influenced as a child when he found an old Victrola in the basement and wore out the 78's blues albums. In high school many listened to the Stones, Clapton and Mayall but Dave traded those records for Howlin' Wolf, Lightnin Hopkins, and BB King.  After high school Weld moved to New Mexico to attend New Mexico State University and studied guitar under Kurt Black, a jazz player who worked with Benny Carter, Grant Green and others in the New York jazz scene. During his time at NMSU, he drove to Nevada where he met and jammed with Gatemouth Brown.  Weld bought Hound Dog Taylor's first Alligator album, heard Howlin Wolf over the radio in the desert one night which drove him to pack up and return home in his 67' Ford.  He made it with ten dollars to spare.

As a young musician, Weld found out that the West side of Chicago (the black hood) was friendlier, welcoming him more than the North side. He started sitting in at as many clubs that he could.  In 1975, after Hound Dog Taylor died, Weld joined his first band, the Hound Dog Taylor Band, consisting of Brewer Phillips, Ted Harvey.  They played at Sweet Peas on 43rd St. for a couple years where Weld developed his chops and experience in playing.  There were many shake dancers and fistfights but the blues was the center of his life. The gig ended when Brewer was stabbed in the throat by his wife, but they later reconciled.

In 1976, Weld was found playing at the 1815 Club on W. Roosevelt, owned and operated by Eddie Shaw.  At the time Eddie Shaw had the Howlin Wolf's band, the Wolf Pack which became Weld's second band.  Members of the band where, Hubert Sumlin, Chico Chism, Shorty Gilbert, Eddie Shaw and Dave Weld. The 1815 Club was famous for stage guests such as Otis Rush, Jewtown Burke, Maxwell St Jimmy, Little Arthur, Taildragger, Little Wolf, and many more. In 1976 Weld along with Eddie Shaw, Hubert Sumlin, Jewtown Burke, Detroit Junior, Shorty Gilbert became a part of an album called "Chico Chism's Chicago Blues Party", released later by Bob Coritore.  The going rate at the 1815 Club was $15 per night, but Dave enjoyed his time there, playing with many greats such as Otis Rush, Maxwell St. Jimmy, Guitar Junior, Jew Town Burks, Doug Macdonald, Boston Blackie, Tail Dragger, Little Wolf, Big Bad Ben, Little Aurthur, Johnny Littlejohn and many more. The gig ended when the band was taken to the Maxwell St. lockup because of the nude shake dancers. Shaw bailed them out.

Also in 76' Weld was a part of another album called "Harpin On It" released by John Stedman, JSP Records, UK.  During this era, Weld, was also a writer for Living Blues Magazine, where he met J.B. Hutto Grammy winning, Hall of Famer, who became his friend, mentor and teacher, giving him slide guitar lessons and band insite, they met weekly.  J.B. Hutto was put on the cover of Living Blues Magazine, in 1976, Issue 30.  Hutto later introduced Weld to his nephews Little Ed Williams and Pookie/James Young. The three of them started Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials, played all over the West Side of Chicago until they were discovered by Bruce Igauer from Alligator Records, recording, "Roughousin" album which was released in 1986.

In 1988, Weld started Dave Weld and the Imperial Flames. Recording for Parsifal Records, Belgium, "Roughrockin' in Chicago" doing tours in EU. His next recording was with Earwig Records in 1997, "Keep on Walkin", touring USA and EU. His next three recordings were with Delmark Records, "Burning Love", "Slip into a Dream" and the Grammy nominated album in 2022, "Nightwalk" which was also produced by Tom Hambridge. Weld was also are part of Delmark's "Tribute" album, featuring several Delmark artist. In 2016 Weld's album "Slip Into A Dream" was nominated by Blues Blast Magazine for Rock Blues Album of the Year. In 2020 Dave and his band won the Windy City Blues Challenge. In 2021 Dave Weld & The Imperial Flames made the finals in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. Weld was nominated Slide player of the year by Blues Blast Magazine as well as Contemporary Blues Album of the Year! In 2022 Dave received two nominations from Blues Blast again, for his 'Nightwalk" album for Contemporary Blues Album and Slide Guitarist of the Year. Recently his group headlined the Chicago Blues Festival and the Lucerne Blues Festival in Switzerland. An upcoming vinyl album, "Bluesin' through the Years" is coming out on Delmark to be released this Summer of 2025.