Al Spears & The Hurricane Project at Hey Nonny!

Name: Al Spears & The Hurricane Project at Hey Nonny!
Start: 2025-08-16T19:30:00-05:00
Location: HeyNonnyAH

Schedule

Sat, 16 Aug, 2025 at 07:30 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

HeyNonnyAH | Arlington Heights, IL

SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 2025
DOORS: 6:30PM
SHOW: 7:30PM
Al “Hurricane” Spears is a working Chicago blues musician currently playing guitar with “The Hurricane Project”. Whether backing up another local musician or playing in a band, he can often be spotted at various Chicago Blues establishments like Buddy Guy’s Legends, Kingston Mines and Rosa’s Lounge delivering a slow blues groove or an explosive thundering guitar solo. Al Spears has earned the respect of his fellow musicians as a friendly, reliable craftsman who knows his way around the fret board. Being a Chicago Blues musician carries the responsibility of continuing the legacy of some of the worlds renowned Blues artists, and “Hurricane” is a blues guitarist who embraces this legacy by playing promoting the Blues art form wherever he can.
For Hurricane, the blues is a way of life. He began listening to old 78s as an early child. He picked the guitar in the early 90s, and just kept playing. He began playing some of the local blues jams at Carter’s Place in Lockport, and the Harlem Avenue Lounge in Berwyn after working his full time job.
He’s developed a strong style that could be described as a mixture of jazz and blues with an edge. Hurricane has shared the stage with some of Chicago’s finest musicians, including Toronzo Cannon, Lurrie Bell, Mike Wheeler, Billy Branch, Johnnie Drummer, Aron Burton, Jimmy Dawkins, and the father-son combo Lonnie and Ronnie Baker-Brooks.
Hurricane is a family man, raised on corn bread, collard greens and black eyed peas. He recently retired from his fortune 500 job, and is enjoying life as a Chicago blues musician.
Hurricane works hard to keep the blues art form alive. He operated three of the longest running blues jams in the western suburbs, in an effort to keep this great music in front of the public. He still plays quite a few shows in the Chicago area.
Hurricane wants to give special thanks to his wonderful wife Donna, Michael Wheeler, Toronzo Cannon, Chico Banks (RIP), Twist Ferguson, Dave Riley, Lindsey Alexander, Billy Branch, Carl Weathersby, Carlos Johnson, Third Coast Guitars, Glen Gerini, Doug Horan, Jeff Ruffin, Gibson Custom Guitars, and hosts of friends who helped make the music possible.