Bex Marshall: A Blues Trailblazer Reinvents the Roots
Born amid the windswept coasts of Plymouth, Devon, Bex Marshall has emerged as one of Britain’s fiercest blues voices—both vocally and on guitar. Drawing from her aristocratic lineage and Irish-Romany mystique, she began her musical journey at just 11, when she received a 1963 Gibson Hummingbird from her uncle. That pivotal gift launched her into an odyssey of classical, flamenco, ragtime, country-pickin’, rock and homegrown blues—ultimately forging her signature hybrid style of slide, ragtime, blues-rock, and soulful roots playing
Marshall’s voice channels heartache with raw, piercing emotion—a “melting pot of old black woman’s heartache and rock diva soul” . Her guitar isn’t just accompaniment; it tells its own stories—with technical ragtime and ballsy slide Bex delivers resonator magic that peers call “the goal”
For British blues guitar virtuoso Bex Marshall, music has always been a passport, at 17, Marshall took her first steps into the world—working as a croupier on cruise ships and playing underground poker in Amsterdam. She hitchhiked across Australia, backpacking with her guitar, collecting travel stories that fueled her songwriting. Those years imbued her music with grit and global perspective: from smoky American blues clubs to vibrant Brazilian stages, from festival sets flanked by bikers in Iowa to close calls with snakes and crocodiles on Australia’s Cape Tribulation Road.
After releasing Kitchen Table (2008), her debut The House of Mercy (2012) launched her reputation internationally—earning UK Blues Awards recognition and DownBeat’s four-star praise. She’s also a four-time European Blues Award nominee and a winner of the Best British Blues Vocalist poll in 2013.
Marshall’s long-awaited fourth album, Fortuna, dropped March 1, 2024 via Dixiefrog Records.
On guitar, she reigns supreme—her slide work has drawn comparisons to Bonnie Raitt and Derek Trucks, Influences like Tina Turner, Janis Joplin, Eric Clapton, John Lee Hooker, and Gary Moore shine through in Marshall’s powerful vocals and dynamic guitar work. From the tear-stained reflection of “5 AM”—a bluesy ballad echoing late-night regrets—to the funk-rock swagger of the title track’s instrumental, her guitar fingers tell stories of passion, loss, defiance, and survival.
Backing her is an all-star ensemble: Richie Stevens (drums), Toby Baker (keys), B.J. Cole (dobro), Robert “Red” Daniels (bass), gospel singer Shola Adegoroye, and more—a lineup that fuels Fortuna’s rich textures.
Bex also was the voice of Janis for the Big Brother and the Holding Companys SAM ANDREWS UK tours in 2013
powerful as her slide guitar lines. With Fortuna, she invites us all to ride the wave.