Darren 'Boobie' Browne

2003 Maple Blues Award nominee Darren 'Boobie' Browne (New Artist of the Year) is a guitarist who borrows from many genres and throws in a healthy dose of humor along the way, with his distinct finger-plucking sound as the unifying factor. There's a little funk, some rockabilly, surf, blues, fingerstyle jazz, country two-step, 70's arena rock, and whatever else catches his fancy. Influences include Albert Collins, Danny Gatton, Les Paul, Mark Knopfler, Jeff Beck and Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown. These elements come together on 2002's Birth of the Chickenpick, his ten-song debut CD that is gathering great reviews and getting radio play around the world (21 countries at last count). You can hear it on a country & western show in Australia, a blues show in Spain, or a rock show in Germany. It has also been accepted for full servicing country-wide on the CBC, Canada's national radio broadcaster.

Boobie Browne and Katherine Heartburn at the Silver Dollar, Toronto

Boobie was picked as a top-five finalist in the 2003 North American Rock Guitar Competition, part of the Buffalo Niagara Guitar Festival held annually in Buffalo, New York. He placed 4th in a field of great players who were chosen by panels comprised of music educators, musicians and industry representatives (from the producer of Austin City Limits to the president of Gibson Guitars), winning some great gear, a nice trophy, and the chance to talk shop with Sid McGinnis from Late Night with David Letterman. The competition was taped by WNED-TV Buffalo as a documentary called "Driven to Play", currently broadcasting on PBS stations throughout North America. He was also featured on "Talkin' Blues", Mako Funasaka's series on contemporary blues artists now in its second season Bravo! Canada.

Boobie and Darrell Cooper (left) at The Fat Cat, St. John's

Boobie was born in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada to an extremely supportive family who always dug deep to lend him the money to buy his instruments (and yes, sometimes his supper). He learned how to play on stage with whoever would have him, and eventually became a part of the local hot blues scene.

He has just recently moved to lovely Montréal with his partner in crime Katherine Heartburn (piano, guitar and vocals), after four years in Toronto. He speaks French and Spanish, and hasn't had a cigarette in a loooooooong time!