LoHud.com, New York’s Lower Hudson Valley website reported the following on Billy’s upcoming show with James Cotton…

Listening Room Blog: Blues legend James Cotton adds Squier to “Blues Summit” lineup

Blues harp master James Cotton has added a surprise guest to his June 24 “Blues Summit” at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater: One time Top-40 stalwart Billy Squier.

Squier’s publicity folks tell The Listening Room that Squier and Cotton met last month at the Boston Legends show, put together by James Montgomery, and the two hit it off. A short time later Cotton called Squier and invited him to the upcoming New York show.

Squier, who spent the last few years playing along some notable musicians as part of Ringo Starr’s All Star Band, accepted the invitation.

“Aside from his pedigree and talent, the man’s simply a lot of fun to play with,” Squier said of Cotton.
(photo courtesy of billysquier.com)

The star-studded Blues Summit lineup already includes Cotton, Taj Mahal, Pinetop Perkins, Shemekia Copeland and others, so Squier joins a pretty impressive group of musicians. Cotton, of course, is probably the premier blues harmonica player on the planet. He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2006 and has won countless accolades over the years.

Squier is an interesting addition. After first making noise in the industry as frontman for the rock band Piper, Squier went solo and scored more than a few hits. He seemingly fell off the map after a few years, even though he did keep recording. Then a few years ago he popped up in Starr’s band alongside Edgar Winter, Gary Wright and Colin Hays of Men at Work.

In truth, Squier never got this due as a guitar player—he definitely knows his way around the instrument. Certainly he’s impressive enough to get the attention of one of blues’ biggest names.