Todd Sharpville

Todd Sharpville (born 9 April 1970 as The Hon. Roland Augusto Jestyn Estanislao Philipps) is a British musician and the younger son of the 3rd Viscount St Davids.[1][2]

Todd Sharpville
Background information
Birth nameRoland Augusto Jestyn Estanislao Philipps
Born (1970-04-09) 9 April 1970
London, England
GenresBlues, rock, pop
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentsGuitar, piano
LabelsRed Lightnin', Cathouse, Revolver, MiG
Websitewww.toddsharpville.com

A British musician, singer-songwriter and lead guitarist, mainly in the blues field, it has been asserted that he is "the world's first blue-blooded bluesman", as a titled member of a British aristocratic family.[3] In 2010, the Conservative Party asked him to stand for election as a prospective parliamentary candidate, but he declined the offer.[3]

Family

The younger son of Colwyn Jestyn John Philipps, 3rd Viscount Saint Davids and Augusta Victoria Correa Larrain Ugarte, he and his brother, Rhodri Colwyn Philipps, the 4th Viscount Saint Davids (born 16 September 1966), were raised in the Roman Catholic faith of their mother, and attended Downside and Worth schools, respectively.[1] Sharpville has two daughters of his own, Amber Augusta Philipps and Charlotte Isabella Philipps.[1]

Career
Todd Sharpville in Wolfsburg, Germany, 2004

Sharpville first came to public prominence with his 1994 debut blues album release, Touch of Your Love (Red Lightnin'). The album achieved critical acclaim, winning "Best Album" in 1994 in the British Blues Connection awards (Britain's equivalent to the W.C. Handy Awards). At this time, Sharpville was putting together European backing bands for visiting American blues artists (such as Hubert Sumlin, Ike Turner, Chuck Berry and Byther Smith). He won the British Blues Connection "Best UK Guitarist" award in 1995 (beating fellow nominees Eric Clapton and Gary Moore according to the April 1995 edition of British Blues Connection's Blueprint magazine) and became a mainstay on the European blues circuit as a solo artist.

His second blues album, The Meaning of Life was released in 2001 on Cathouse Records and featured guests Leo Sayer, Eugene "Hideaway" Bridges, Snowy White, Paul Lamb, Keith Dunn, and ex-Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor. In support of this release, Sayer toured extensively,[4][5][6] as part of the Todd Sharpville Band. Taylor appeared as a special guest at a limited number of European dates.

Sharpville can also be found on more than 35 compilation albums, and at least five Dana Gillespie releases. He participated in Mick Ronson's Memorial Concert (Citadel Records – recorded at the Hammersmith Apollo in 1994), in Albert Hammond's 2006 release Revolution of the Heart (Sharpville was Hammond's guitarist and musical director) and in Leo Sayer's Voice in My Head (2005). Live performances include appearances with Robbie Williams, Van Morrison, Peter Green, George Michael, Taj Mahal, Albert Collins, Georgie Fame, Kim Wilson, Joe Louis Walker, Tommy Castro, Brian May, and the reformed version of The Yardbirds.

Between 2005 and 2007, Sharpville was the European opening act for Pink, Joe Cocker, and B.B. King. He is still due to release his singer/songwriter album, Diary of a Drowning Man. This is a "confessional" album, inspired by his divorce. It features a duet with British vocalist Sam Brown ("Sweet Redemption"), and was co-produced by ex-Stone Roses record producer Dave Hyatt and Robbie Williams producer Steve Power. His new blues double album, Porchlight, was released on 29 October 2010 by the MiG Music record label. This was produced in Rhode Island by Duke Robillard and features contributions by Robillard, Joe Louis Walker and Kim Wilson of the Fabulous Thunderbirds.[7]

During the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, Sharpville assembled the world's first professional lockdown backing band which includes well known session musicians, living together under one roof in a rented Norfolk mansion. They perform online streaming shows each week, and have been remotely recording with a variety of artists. The James Bond film composer David Arnold has been working with Sharpville on material forming part of his public awareness campaign, designed to promote unity amongst the general public.[8][9]

References
  1. "Person Page 5883: Hon. Roland Augusto Jestyn Estantislao Philipps". Thepeerage.com. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  2. "Viscount Saint Davids". The Telegraph. 18 May 2009. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
  3. Archived 24 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Mick Taylor ex Rolling Stones biography". Micktaylor.free.fr. 17 January 1949. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  5. Archived 21 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  6. "Shropshire - BBC News". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  7. "MIG". Migmusic.de. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  8. "Norfolk lockdown band links up with James Bond composer and other 'stars'". BBC News. 8 August 2020.
  9. Anderson, Stuart (12 August 2020). "Meet the musicians holed up in a Norfolk manor making music with world renowned stars". Eastern Daily Press.
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