Victor Wainwright

Victor Wainwright is an award-winning singer, songwriter, and piano player. Though his career began over a decade ago with genuine rock n' roll honky-tonk, Wainwright has broadened his artistic scope over the years to include music representing virtually every corner of the blues. His insatiable interest in music discovery, sheer love for entertaining, and curiosity have led him all around the world, and the resulting perspective is a reflection of his passion for entertaining and creating progressive roots music in an effort to move the art form forward. Composer, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist, Victor Wainwright is a raucous high-octane, dynamic performer and crowd pleasure with soul to spare.  

"Victor Wainwright, the winner of this year’s and last year's 'Pine Top Perkins Piano Player Award' at the BMA’s, is a force to be reckoned with on a piano. He IS honky-tonk and boogie, with a dose of rolling thunder. Wainwright’s playing is simply beautiful madness." -American Blues Scene 2013 

"Savannah, GA native Victor Wainwright is all about boogie-woogie piano, deep soul, and a voice that recalls Dr. John at his best. He is a rising blues star, a tremendous player." -Chicago Blues Guide 2013

“Wainwright serves as an electrifying guide to a good time-spinning tales, telling his listeners how to beat the blues, and meticulously conjuring raw soul and energy out of his acoustic piano.” He displays a sharp sense of humor and a knack for storytelling. Every track is brilliant.” -Living Blues Magazine

Wainwright teamed up with Damon Fowler, J.P. Soars, Chuck Riley, and Chris Peet to form the band that would eventually become Southern Hospitality. Their first gig was supporting Buddy Guy in August of the same year at the Heritage Music Blues Fest in Wheeling, West Virginia. Their debut album, Easy Livin', (2013) was produced by Tab Benoit, and released by Blind Pig Records. It peaked at number 9 on the US Billboard Top Blues Album chart. In 2014, Wainwright won the 'Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year' award at the Blues Music Awards for the second consecutive year.

In July 2015, Victor Wainwright & the WildRoots released Boom Town on Blind Pig Records.

Wainwright teamed up with friend, engineer, and producer Dave Gross in 2017 to form "The Train," to begin work on what would become the 2018 Grammy-nominated self-titled album, Victor Wainwright and The Train. For touring and recording, Wainwright kept longtime bandmates Billy Dean on drums and Terrence Grayson on bass. For guitar, Wainwright added Pat Harrington. He also added the horn players Doug Woolverton and Mark Earley from Roomful of Blues. Wainwright wrote all 12 original songs.

The album, "Victor Wainwright and The Train" was recorded at the Ardent Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. The album, co-produced by Wainwright and Gross, was released on March 9, 2018. It went on to garner a Grammy Award nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album of the Year.

Wainwright currently tours with The Train, consisting of the same recording artists as on the album.

• 2020: Blues Music Award Winner for Instrumentalist - Piano (Pinetop Perkins Piano Player)
• 2018: Grammy Award Nominee (Best Contemporary Blues Album)
• 2018: No. 1 Most played contemporary blues album of the year.
• 2018: No. 2 Most played blues album of the year.
• 2018: No. 1 Billboard Blues Albums Chart.
• 2018: Blues Music AwardWinner for the Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year
• 2017: Blues Music Award Winner for the Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year
• 2016: Blues Music Award Winner for the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year
• 2016: Band of the Year
• 2016: Blues Blast Award Winner for Contemporary Album of the Year

(Victor Wainwright at 24th annual Pocono's Blues Festival 2015)