bio

Raised in several countries in South America, came of age musically in the Chicago blues scene, working with Blues Hall-of-Famer Lonnie Brooks. After moving to Knoxville, Tennessee, played and recorded with Terry Hill's Balboa, which twenty-five years later was voted one of Knoxville's five Best Bands Ever. Worked on TNN's I-40 Paradise and Pickin’ at the Paradise music television series, performing with hundreds of country, pop and Americana artists. in 1985 formed the hqband, which won over a dozen Best of Knoxville awards and released 5 recordings. Toured and recorded with Americana singer-songwriter R.B. Morris, whom Lucinda Williams once called the greatest unknown songwriter in the country, was a proud member of the regional western-swing and honky-tonk institution Lonesome Coyotes, and with Terry Hill formed the fictional band UWP. In 2007 released a solo acoustic record, Wherever you go, which also featured SGMA’s Studio Musician of the Year David Johnson and Mark Fain of Ricky Skaggs’ Kentucky Thunder. Now living in Charleston, South Carolina, performing original music mostly with fellow East Tennessee ex-pat Kevin Crothers. Two reviews: Bluegrass Unlimited said "the songs are refreshing in that they offer something much deeper than just another rehashing of standard bluegrass warhorses"; and "Qirko and company's commitment to each note is unmistakable" - Blues Revue.