Shawn Ridley, who recently relocated to Auburn, CA, has been an influential contributor to the San Francisco Bay Area music scene for more than two decades. A journeyman guitar player and devotee to the early blues and R&B masters, Shawn earned his stripes playing the music he loves in many of the Bay Area’s most respected clubs -- The Ivy Room, The Saloon, John Lee Hooker’s “Boom-Boom Room”, Moe’s Alley, Slim’s, The Blue Lamp, Biscuits & Blues, Lou’s Pier 47, Eli’s Mile High Club and JJ’s Blues in San Jose, to name but a few.

A weekly residency as one of JJ’s house guitar players in the 1990s afforded Shawn the opportunity to meet, play and learn from many of his heroes, including Jimmie Vaughan, Buddy Guy, Anson Funderburgh, Derek O’Brien and Johnnie “Clyde” Copeland, as well as local heroes Tommy Castro, Chris Cain, Johnny Nitro, Chris Cobb, JC Smith and many others.

A disciple of the “less is more” school of guitar playing, Shawn spent the early 2000's playing and touring with saxophone great Frankie Ramos, an alum of Little Richard’s band. After a 5-year stint with the Frankie Ramos Band, Shawn formed several of his own blues/rock outfits, including Bay Area favorites The Sinners and The Mile. Since 2018, Shawn has been holding down rhythm and lead guitar duties with Norman Collins & The Tumblers, an original roots rock/Americana band. Shawn’s superior guitar skills are featured throughout Norman Collins & the Tumblers latest 2021 release “What the Cat Dragged In”.

Welcome to the band family, Shawn!