Bill Lyerly is a well known roots rock artist and a pioneer of Alternative Blues. His music is played on AM, FM, satellite and internet radio stations across the US as well as numerous European cities such as Paris, London, Barcelona and Bilbao. His latest work, Too Hurt To Cry, is a blistering blues CD scheduled for release in February 2009 on the prestigious Hotsak record label located in the Basque Country in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. The CD was mastered at Abbey Road Studios in London, the most famous recording facility in the world.

“This is not your typical blues record,” says Lyerly. There is plenty of groove, bottom end, wailing guitar and rough-edged vocals, but also present is heart-felt, well-crafted songwriting- a crucial, missing link in so much of today’s mass- manufactured, “white boy” blues.

In 1980 Lyerly signed with RCA Nashville and joined Waylon Jennings as the only other artist permitted to use his road band on records. In 1981 the label released the hit singles “My Baby’s Coming Home” and “Mystery Train.” In spite of extensive airplay and a review by Cashbox comparing Lyerly to Guy Clark and Rodney Crowell, RCA wanted Lyerly to record something “slick.” He wouldn’t.

When Roy Dea, one of Nashville’s all-time great producers decided to form his own label, LSI, a disenchanted Lyerly went with him. “Prodigal Son” was released by LSI in 1982. “Higher Ground,” was released on Dea’s consequent label, Red Ash, in 1984 and had a progressive rock and roll and blues approach to it.

By the end of the 80s, Lyerly’s music had evolved into a new sound, fusing Chicago Blues (Muddy Waters), Texas Blues (Freddie King) and British blues rock (early Eric Clapton). His album, “From the Old School”, released on Broadcast Recordsin 1990, was an homage to late ‘60s/ early ‘70s British blues rock.

In 1998 “Railroad Station Blues”, on Riviere International Records, was released in Europe and in the United States, receiving rave reviews in Living Blues and Blues Review. In 1999 “Railroad” was followed by “Cobalt Blues” and nominated for a total of five CAMMY Awards with Lyerly taking home “Best New Artist” in 2000. “Motel Room Blues” was brought out in late 2000 by Ripete Blues and received extensive airplay on the East Coast.

In 2001 Broadcast Records released “Requiem Mess”, Lyerly’s first new country album since “Higher Ground.” It was also the first collaboration between Lyerly and Clyde Mattocks since Super Grit Cowboy Band's debut album in 1977. Blue Suede News called it, “one of the year’s best.” In 2007 Broadcast issued “The Twang Years", selected country recordings by Bill Lyerly from 1977-1983 and featured two previously unreleased tracks.