Lexington Blues is a blues-rock power-trio currently consisting of members Derek R. Audette on lead guitar and vocals, Wayne Tierney on drums, and Bill Bolton on bass guitar. Lexington Blues was formed in Ottawa in 1990 and was born out of the ashes of the now defunct Ottawa based hard rock band Swamp Ash. Three of the six Swamp Ash members, frustrated with the deteriorating focus and direction of the band, decided to split from the larger group and form a trio made up of the core talent of the former band. Naming the newly formed group after the street on which regular rehearsals took place, founding members Derek R. Audette, Wayne Tierney and Dave O’Heare made the choice to move away, just slightly, from the straight rock sound of Swamp Ash, and follow the music in which each of them held a common interest and fondness: The Blues. That split would prove to be the end of Swamp Ash and the beginning of Lexington Blues’ musical journey now spanning almost two decades.

Playing their own brand of raucous, foot stomping, hard rocking, electric Blues, Lexington Blues quickly became one of the most prominent acts of the 1990s within the Canadian Blues scene and gained a far reaching reputation as a “live band.” A hard working group, Lexington Blues was a ubiquitous musical presence throughout the clubs, show-rooms and musical events across the eastern Ontario circuit. From the seediest of back-water saloons, to being a regular, annual highlight of the now legendary Ottawa Rhythm and Blues Festival, Lexington Blues made their music heard just about everywhere.

Lexington Blues is fronted by Singer/Guitarist Derek R. Audette - a musician, author, poet and artist who has reached international notoriety with musical compositions appearing in hundreds of film, video game, and television productions. He has been named by CultureCentric.Com as one of the most prominent leaders in the field of art today among “Gen-Xer celebrities” and has published two well-received books of poetry – one of which has gained an acceptance into the Harris Collection at the Ivy League Brown University. Coming from a musical family, Derek received his first guitar when he was six years old, but didn’t take it up seriously until the age of fifteen, upon inheriting an old and miraculous 1948 Martin D-18 from his grandfather – the iconic war-time Country & Western singer, and champion boxer, Ward “Flash” Martelle.

Wayne Tierney, a power drummer springing from the deep roots of his musical family, is the son of Bob Tierney – a prominent figure of the Canadian Country Music Scene in the 1960s and ‘70s, working closely with some of Canada’s great Country artists of the era, such as: Big Jim Connors, Ed Pigeon and Kodiak Country, Southern Comfort, and Good Time Country, to name a few. Wayne received musical instruction at an early age from Lisa Simmermon, percussionist for the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, and he has been tearing up the “skins” ever since. Wayne’s straight-ahead, hard hitting, hard driving beats provide the rhythmic power-drive of Lexington Blues.

The summer of 1996 brought the departure of Lexington Blues’ original bass player, and saw the introduction of Bill Bolton – an accomplished electric bassist who has been actively playing in the Ottawa blues and rock scenes since taking up the instrument in 1973. Bill played in a number of power trio, Blues based bands that formed out of the vibrant Westboro music scene in the 1970s and ‘80’s, such as the Stone Wall Blues Band, Dream Fighter and Runaway Train. The band clicked right away with their new bassist, and Bill has been providing the sonic foundation and bottom-end groove for Lexington Blues ever since. Bill’s ultra-ballzzzy bass tone truly moves a lot of air on stage, and audience members know immediately that Bill’s a big part of the reason that you don’t just hear a Lexington Blues performance, you “feel” it.