Live Music with Rich Badowski
Rich Badowski was born November 30, 1959 in New Britain, CT. and was interested in music at an early age. Growing up in the 60's he was fascinated by his father who played harmonica and his uncle who played banjo. He enjoyed watching the Ed Sullivan Show with the many performers who later became legends of show business. Rich moved to Poland in the summer of 1970 with his parents. At age 18 he picked up a guitar, and his first gig was in a high school band as a vocalist. That's when the entertainment bug bit him. After returning to the US in 1981 and settling in CT., he put his guitar aside and began to learn how to play harmonica. During the 80's and 90's he joined a few local blues bands and perfected his skills on the harmonica and vocals. Since that time he has worked as a studio musician recording with blues legends Sonny Rhodes, Eddie Kirkland and Johnny Rawls for the JSP record label. Rich played with bands and as a solo act in nightclubs, restaurants, coffee shops, nursing homes, senior centers, wedding receptions, funerals, fairs, private and corporate functions, summer camps and music festivals. He performed at Foxwoods Casino with Shorty & the Allstars, and won first place in the Springfield Valley Advocate Grand Band Slam for best blues band in 2008 with Sharp Harp Junior and the Blades. Rich has been a finalist with several bands in the CTBS Blues Band Challenge. In 2009 he formed the Rich Badowski Blues Band and in 2012 won the CTBS Blues Band Challenge and played the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN in 2013. He Joined the band EasyBaby in 2014 and returned to Memphis for the IBC IN 2018. Rich covers a wide range of styles including blues, country, folk, jazz, classical, show tunes, Christmas songs, patriotic melodies, oldies and much more. He loves to entertain audiences of any age group. As Rich says “There's no business like show business!”