Bernard Seigal
Encyclopedia
Bernard "Buddy Blue" Seigal (December 30, 1957 - April 2, 2006) was a San Diego musician, music critic and writer who performed and often wrote under his stage name Buddy Blue. He was a founding member of The Beat Farmers, a Southern California
rock band that blended country roots music and rock 'n' roll. As a music critic, he was known for his straightforward style of critique that often used colorful language and original metaphor
s to either praise or lambaste musicians whom Seigal liked or disliked.
, New York
, Seigal moved to San Diego in 1973 and played in several unknown bands while working as a clerk at a record store and attending community college. In 1979, he joined the Grossmont College
student newspaper as a writer and was later promoted to editor. In 1981, Seigal, a singer and guitarist, formed the rockabilly
band, the Rockin' Roulettes.
In 1983, he quit the Roulettes when he was invited to join the Beat Farmers
with Jerry Raney and Country Dick Montana
. He took musician Rolle Love with him. The Beat Farmers eventually signed with Rhino
records and became known regionally and nationally with their performances of songs such as "Happy Boy," "Riverside" and "Gun Sale at the Church."
Seigal left the Beat Farmers in 1986 to start a new band, The Jacks. A year later, he was hired as a music critic for the San Diego Reader
. He would later be fired from the paper when his editors suggested he write negative reviews about local musicians whom Seigal felt did not deserve bad press.
By 1990, Seigal's irreverent style of writing led him to writing assignments with a variety of Southern California
newspapers, including The San Diego Union-Tribune
, Los Angeles Times
, The Orange County Weekly
, San Jose Mercury News
and a full-time writing position with the weekly La Jolla Light At the time of Seigal's death, he had been writing for several years for the OC Weekly alternative paper.
Recording as Buddy Blue, Seigal began performing again in 1991. He released the CD Guttersnipes and Zealots in 1991, which included vocals from Southern California rockers Dave Alvin
and Mojo Nixon
, it featured the songs, "Duke of J Street," "Someone You Knew," and "Gun Sale at the Church." The albums Dive Bar Casanovas, Greasy Jazz, Dipsomania, Pretend It's Okay (which included a guest spot from Chris Gaffney
), and Sordid Lives followed. All were recorded by either Buddy Blue or the Buddy Blue Band.
Throughout his musical career, Seigal performed jump blues
, a form of jazzy blues focused on uptempo rhythms and loud, boisterous vocals.
Seigal's impact on the San Diego music scene was diverse. As a critic, he promoted those who he thought were worthy and viciously degraded musicians who he perceived as faking it or contrived. As a musician, he proliferated different styles of jazz and blues and periods in his bands often gave performers a crash course in tight songs and sets and exposed them to a myriad of musical styles and canvasses. He was very opinionated and could be abrasive to some but nobody could doubt his musical ability as a guitarist and song writer.
In his writing, he preferred originality over reverence and though his musical idols showed through in his playing, as a writer, he was more comparable to comic book
writers such as Harvey Pekar
or R. Crumb than other rock journalists.
In March 2002, The Union-Tribune issued a memo to its staff stating that one of Seigal's articles, which had run in the paper, used words like "old fart," "crapola" and "pooh-butts" that were unsuitable for readers.
Shortly before his death, Seigal reunited with Jerry Raney and Rolle Love of the Beat Farmers (Country Dick Montana died onstage of a heart attack in 1995) playing shows as The Farmers. He has previously played in Raney-Blue (circa 1996) but left when the band became Powerthud.
Seigal died of a heart attack on April 2, 2006. He was 48 years old.
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
rock band that blended country roots music and rock 'n' roll. As a music critic, he was known for his straightforward style of critique that often used colorful language and original metaphor
Metaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
s to either praise or lambaste musicians whom Seigal liked or disliked.
Biography
Born in SyracuseSyracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Seigal moved to San Diego in 1973 and played in several unknown bands while working as a clerk at a record store and attending community college. In 1979, he joined the Grossmont College
Grossmont College
Grossmont College is a community college located in El Cajon, California, in the county of San Diego. The campus sits in the Fletcher Hills community of El Cajon and is bordered by the cities of San Diego and Santee. Grossmont College is one of the two colleges that make up the Grossmont-Cuyamaca...
student newspaper as a writer and was later promoted to editor. In 1981, Seigal, a singer and guitarist, formed the rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
band, the Rockin' Roulettes.
In 1983, he quit the Roulettes when he was invited to join the Beat Farmers
Beat Farmers
The Beat Farmers were a cowpunk band who formed in San Diego, California, in August 1983, and enjoyed a cult following throughout the 1980s and early 1990s before the premature death of lead singer and drummer Country Dick Montana...
with Jerry Raney and Country Dick Montana
Country Dick Montana
Country Dick Montana was a musician best known as a member of the Beat Farmers...
. He took musician Rolle Love with him. The Beat Farmers eventually signed with Rhino
Rhino Entertainment
Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company. It is owned by Warner Music Group.-History:Rhino was originally a novelty song and reissue company during the 1970s and 1980s, releasing compilation albums of pop, rock & roll, and rhythm & blues successes...
records and became known regionally and nationally with their performances of songs such as "Happy Boy," "Riverside" and "Gun Sale at the Church."
Seigal left the Beat Farmers in 1986 to start a new band, The Jacks. A year later, he was hired as a music critic for the San Diego Reader
San Diego Reader
The San Diego Reader is the largest alternative press paper in the county of San Diego, distributed free in stands and private businesses throughout the county, funded by advertisements...
. He would later be fired from the paper when his editors suggested he write negative reviews about local musicians whom Seigal felt did not deserve bad press.
By 1990, Seigal's irreverent style of writing led him to writing assignments with a variety of Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
newspapers, including The San Diego Union-Tribune
The San Diego Union-Tribune
-Predecessors:The predecessor newspapers of the Union-Tribune were:* San Diego Sun, founded 1861 and merged with the Evening Tribune in 1939.* San Diego Union, founded October 10, 1868.* Evening Tribune, founded December 2, 1895.-Ownership:...
, Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, The Orange County Weekly
OC Weekly
OC Weekly, a sister publication of both LA Weekly and The Village Voice, is a free, left-wing weekly paper distributed in Orange County, California and also in Long Beach....
, San Jose Mercury News
San Jose Mercury News
The San Jose Mercury News is a daily newspaper in San Jose, California. On its web site, however, it calls itself Silicon Valley Mercury News. The paper is owned by MediaNews Group...
and a full-time writing position with the weekly La Jolla Light At the time of Seigal's death, he had been writing for several years for the OC Weekly alternative paper.
Recording as Buddy Blue, Seigal began performing again in 1991. He released the CD Guttersnipes and Zealots in 1991, which included vocals from Southern California rockers Dave Alvin
Dave Alvin
Dave Alvin , is a guitarist, singer and songwriter. He has been one of the leading proponents of 'roots' or 'American' music, bringing together elements of rock-and-roll, blues, rural and tejano music....
and Mojo Nixon
Mojo Nixon
Mojo Nixon is an American musician, known for playing psychobilly music...
, it featured the songs, "Duke of J Street," "Someone You Knew," and "Gun Sale at the Church." The albums Dive Bar Casanovas, Greasy Jazz, Dipsomania, Pretend It's Okay (which included a guest spot from Chris Gaffney
Chris Gaffney
Chris Gaffney was an American singer and songwriter from the Southwest. His career, both as a solo musician and as a member of several bands, was as eclectic as his musical tastes. Although he never achieved widespread fame, Gaffney, who died at the age of 57 from liver cancer, left his mark on...
), and Sordid Lives followed. All were recorded by either Buddy Blue or the Buddy Blue Band.
Throughout his musical career, Seigal performed jump blues
Jump blues
Jump blues is an up-tempo blues usually played by small groups and featuring horns. It was very popular in the 1940s, and the movement was a precursor to the arrival of rhythm and blues and rock and roll...
, a form of jazzy blues focused on uptempo rhythms and loud, boisterous vocals.
Seigal's impact on the San Diego music scene was diverse. As a critic, he promoted those who he thought were worthy and viciously degraded musicians who he perceived as faking it or contrived. As a musician, he proliferated different styles of jazz and blues and periods in his bands often gave performers a crash course in tight songs and sets and exposed them to a myriad of musical styles and canvasses. He was very opinionated and could be abrasive to some but nobody could doubt his musical ability as a guitarist and song writer.
In his writing, he preferred originality over reverence and though his musical idols showed through in his playing, as a writer, he was more comparable to comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
writers such as Harvey Pekar
Harvey Pekar
Harvey Lawrence Pekar was an American underground comic book writer, music critic and media personality, best known for his autobiographical American Splendor comic series. In 2003, the series inspired a critically acclaimed film adaptation of the same name.Pekar described American Splendor as "an...
or R. Crumb than other rock journalists.
In March 2002, The Union-Tribune issued a memo to its staff stating that one of Seigal's articles, which had run in the paper, used words like "old fart," "crapola" and "pooh-butts" that were unsuitable for readers.
Shortly before his death, Seigal reunited with Jerry Raney and Rolle Love of the Beat Farmers (Country Dick Montana died onstage of a heart attack in 1995) playing shows as The Farmers. He has previously played in Raney-Blue (circa 1996) but left when the band became Powerthud.
Seigal died of a heart attack on April 2, 2006. He was 48 years old.