Lon Eldridge, 25, is a young blues guitarist and singer/songwriter who teaches at the Folk School of Chattanooga.ABOUT HIM• Name: Lon Eldridge.• Age: 25.• Education: Graduated Rhea County High School in 2004.• Family: Brother, David Eldridge, 39, and nephew, Brandon Eldridge, 5.• Birthplace: Richlands, Va.• Website: www.loneldridge.com.FUN Q&A’s• Favorite song to listen to: “Autumn Leaves” by Eva Cassidy.• Favorite song to sing: “Mr. Sandman” by The Cordettes.• Dream gig: Playing at the Grammy Awards ceremony or at any House of Blues.• Place he’d like to visit: Italy or Bulgaria.• Person he’d like to meet: Robert Johnson.• Nickname: “Doc” and “Uncle Lonty.”SEE HIMLon Eldridge will be performing 7 p.m. tonight at The Camp House, 1427 Williams St. Cover is $2. He also will be performing a free show 9 p.m. Saturday at The Office, 901 Carter St., with his new duo, The Snake Doctors.
Lon Eldridge grew up in a musical family, but his most life-altering musical experience didn’t take place in his childhood home but in a Best Buy parking lot late at night.
Sitting in his car listening to “John the Revelator,” a collection of songs by celebrated Mississippi-born artist Son House, Eldridge said he fell in love with blues music’s rawness and honesty. It was a passion he said has guided his own journey as a student and practitioner of blues and other Americana styles ever since.
“It was just an ineffable experience,” the lanky, mustachioed 25-year-old explained. “A lot of the stuff I’d been listening to was super-produced and pushed by the industry, whereas this music was obscure and nobody listens to it anymore, but it’s still relevant and valuable to the human condition.
“That’s what I like about it. You can connect with anyone with the blues because it’s about hard times, and everybody has hard times; everybody has something going on. It’s universal.”