UK British Blues Award winner and 4 time European Blues Awards nominee Bex Marshall’s unique style of guitar playing is a combined technique of slide, blues rock, ragtime and 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 texturespickin’.
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Her voice is a powerful melting pot of old black woman’s heartache and rock diva soul. Bex is a writer of distinction and notability, she pushes the boundaries of blues, her songs have been called timeless, touches of genius, and now she tours internationally solo or with a three piece band which augments her unique style of of virtuoso playing, Born In Plymouth Devon she was the product of two very different family’s, one blue blooded landed gentry (her great grandfather was the Squire of Cornwall) and her mothers side Irish Romany (her great Grandmother was the original fairground fortune teller Madam Olga)
As a child at family gatherings her uncles would always play and stand her on the table to sing, at 11 years old she was given a 1963 Gibson Hummingbird by her Uncle David and started playing, she got hooked on instrumentals and classical guitar standards which stretched her fingers and gave her a great basis for her own music to develop, flamenco, ragtime, country chicken pickin’, rock and on to blues and roots where she is now in her element.
She always had a passion for travelling, its in her blood and trained as a croupier at 18 began her travels around the world. She hitch hiked the coast of Australia on cattle trains and always with a guitar on her back living and storing tales.
Discographye
Bex Marshall’s Brand new album “FORTUNA” will be released and distributed through Dixiefrog Records on the 1st March 2024 alongside three single releases supporting the album, the first being 5am ( 05/01/2024,) the second the remixed and re-released single “I Cant Look You In The Eye 05/05 /2024 and the third single “Preaching To The Choir” will be released on March 1st the same day for the new album.
‘The House Of Mercy’, released Sept 17th 2012, received stunning reviews worldwide along ith her recent stand out sessions recorded for the Paul Jones & Bob Harris’s BBC radio 2 shows, Bex has toured the record in the UK, USA, and Brazil in the last 12 months alone. The House Of Mercy only recently won 3rd Best British Blues Album of the year Award 2013 and is featured in DOWNBEAT magazine ‘Best Album of the Year list 2013 with a rare 4 star review.
Guests musicians on her new record are Don Wayne Reno (banjo), Dale Reno (mandolin) & Jake Byers (acoustic bass) all from Hayseed Dixie. B J Cole (dobro), Eileen Healy (fiddle) and Brigitte DeMeyer adding backing vocals, along with The Bex Marshall Band of Barry Payne (acoustic bass), Crispin Taylor (drums), Danny Bryan (percussion), Toby Baker (keyboards) and newest edition, gospel singer Shola Adegorove.
Her second album ‘KITCHEN TABLE’ released May 2008 pushed Bex to number 13 in the USA ‘UK artists chart’ and number 20 in the USA national Americana Music Association Chart. (AMA Chart).
Bex first release ‘BOOTLACE’ was released on Numinous Records in 2002 and will be available for download shortly
Bex is now sponsored by Strinberg Guitars, Teye Guitars Ozark Guitars and the legendary guitar maker Chris Eccleshall (Clapton, Gallagher Bowie) with his partner Eddie Cameron
Bex is sponsored by DR strings, Teye Guitars, Ozark Resonators, Blackstar Amps
Reviews
‘…sounds like a breakthrough album’– Rock n Reel (R2) UK
‘…Marshalls album is of such class and maturity, without an apparent weakness or filler’ – Blues Matters UK
‘…As a writer she’s mastered the art of making new material sound like its been found in long forgotten vaults –Net Rhythms UK
‘..She has harnessed the power of the blues without resorting to cliché or plagiarism – – Spiral Earth UK
‘..deserves wider recognition for her spit and saw dust vocals and fluid resonator guitar licks…Classic Rock Magazine UK
‘..Marshalls competent axework has Mark Knopflers feathery touch’ – LA Weekly US
‘…the blues ‘Black Guitar’ culminates in a slide guitar clamour Derek Trucks would be pleased to call his own’ – Downbeat Magazine US
..a younger version of Bonnie Raitt. Seldom do we hear such blues inflected rawness in female guitar players and its so refreshing to hear it done with such authenticity and assurance’ – Folk and Roots Magazine UK
‘…..Bex Marshall’s voice draws up the ghosts of old blues women’s heartaches’, Outlaw Magazine US
‘…the absolute stand out on this album is Marshalls vocals’ – Root of Rock Magazine NZ
‘….She has all those essential vocal frailties that make the difference between soul and soulful’, Folk and Roots Magazine UK
….at last a woman who plays guitar like a goddess, sings like an angel, writes like Dylan and smiles like the devil’ Booker T.
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