It’s hard to believe that it’s over a quarter of a century since Eugene ‘Hideaway’ Bridges first toured Australia with his unique blend of blues, soul and original songs. Up until the Covid hiatus, Eugene had been touring Australia every year since 1999, sometimes twice in the same year. During that time he has played in every State in the country with hundreds of gigs - both big and small to his credit. The great news is that Eugene is back in his favourite touring country in 2025, with dates throughout the country – both festivals and club shows.
Eugene was born in New Orleans, the fourth of five children, and was raised in Amite, Louisiana. His father, Otheneil Bridges Sr., performed as a blues guitarist under the name 'Hideaway Slim', and his mother, Mary Elizabeth Bullock, was a cousin of Anna Mae Bullock, better known as Tina Turner, which makes her his first cousin once removed.
In his early teens, Eugene Bridges began singing with his brothers as a gospel group, The Bridges Brothers, and also formed his own R&B band, The Five Stars. At the age of 16 he moved to Texas to join the US Air Force, and played in an Air Force band for three years. After leaving the service, he joined a gospel group, The New Chosen, on guitar and vocals, and then joined the Mighty Clouds of Joy. He then moved to live in Houston, where he joined the police force and formed his own band, the Eugene 'Hideaway' Bridges Band, and started touring in the US.
He released his first album, 'Born To Be Blue', produced by Mike Vernon, on the Blueside label in 1998. The following year he was signed by British blues label Armadillo, and he released a series of albums for them starting with 'Man Without A Home' (2000), and 'Jump the Joint' (2003), which reached the US Living Blues charts and was nominated for awards. He has continued to tour internationally, and has developed followings through his performances across Europe and in Australia and New Zealand. His later albums have been 'Coming Home' (2005), 'Eugene Hideaway Bridges' (2007), 'Live In San Antonio' (2009), and 'Rock and a Hard Place' (2011), the last of which was recorded with a full horn section. He is described at Allmusic as "a vibrant and enthusiastic singer and guitarist... [who] brings fire and intensity to contemporary blues, which he laces with hints of his gospel singing past.
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