About

This story begins  over two decades ago. Bassist Peter Jilek and guitarist Bill Gay cross paths at UPS headquarters in 1990 just prior to boarding matching brown step vans for another 10-hour shift dispatching parcels around Florida’s big bend.  This fortuitous first meeting of the “brothers in brown” unearths a second common denominator, perhaps the strongest bond of all…a love and talent for the blues! They’ve been together ever since.

Bill‘s roots sprouted in California where, barely a teenager, a prodigious talent on guitar received noticed from locals and visiting flower children during San Francisco’s summer(s) of love. Soon…it was on to Florida where, beginning in 1973, he played in every Rock and Country group he could get his hands around. He loves and plays country and rock to this day, but…early on Bill found his musical love affair reaches fever pitch when playing and singing the blues.

He’ll often perform with  wife Karen in the “Bill & Karen” acoustic duo and has also played with “The Honeybone Band” and, on bass guitar, with blues-rockers in “Bogazedi”.

Son, Eddie Gay brings a new dimension to Rhythm Abuse (RA). Formerly with “King Cotton”, his “sit-ins” coat every gig with flavors from stages he’s shared with Styx, Survivor, The Outfield, 38 Special, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Edgar Winter, Tab Benoit, and more.

Brother in brown, multi-linguistic Peter Jilek, also began as a teenager.  But, his summers of love were spent in Czechoslovakia prior to moving to the U.S. in the late 80′s. While fluent in several languages, it’s his solo’s on bass guitar that speak volumes; about his talent and love for American blues. Check out his Czech lyrics to ‘Roadhouse Blues.

Rick Brunetti originally from Washington DC is the original drummer from the Heywoods,that were known for they golden  hit in 70” Billy don’t be a Hero”sold 4 million records and it was certified gold in 1974.He has been playing since he was 8 years old and he is one valuable part of  Rhythm Abuse R&B  machine.

It’s been said that a night with Rhythm Abuse is more like a journey–a journey through layers and layers of sound that wrap the heart and soul of American blues.  Listening to RA’s approach to blues is more than just a few hours of entertainment. It’s not just moving to music, but…about being moved by music–the deep, soul searching blues you take home with you; to use and abuse again, and again, and again!