People have always called me "bearclaw." Maybe its because they couldn't pronounce Barraclough. Then again, maybe they were aware of some spiritual connection with me and my music.

I've been playing live everytime I get the chance since 1968. When I'm in a room with a real audience, that's when the music is really alive. There have been so many special moments I really can't think of one that stands above all the rest. When I think back, I think of all the friends I've played with over the years. That's what is special to me. You know who you are...

The internet offers artists an opportunity to reach wide audiences without playing all the games involved with the commercial music industry. This exposure is a potentially powerful tool for getting known and building/maintaining a following, although I don't see clearly today how this is best accomplished. Because the access to an artist's work is free on the Internet at this time, the best way left to make any money is to tour and perform live...this is the one medium that (as yet) can't be compressed, digitized and distributed electronically.

I guess I would call the Internet and MP3 music file sharing a work in progress. Artists and the music industry had better stop trying to thwart it and learn how to use it effectively.

Bear Claw Productions is as major as I would ever want to get, and there's nothing simpler than a "contract" with one's self.

Bear Claw Bob's musical career spans four decades and numerous styles and genres. He first performed as folk singer/songwriter in the 1960's, then during the early 1970's did a stint as a rock and roller with Toronto's Live Bait Band. In the 1980's he played country music with Huntsville, Ontario's George West & the Northlanders, then switched to rhythm and blues with The Empties and the Allied Band (both Muskoka-based). In 1999 Bob formed The Bear Claw Blues Band and focussed entirely on classic blues in the styles of masters such as Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson and Howlin' Wolf.

I grew up listening to country, western, gospel, church hymns, and classical. In the early 60's I was listening to British Invasion bands like everyone else in North America, as well as "main stream" folk acts like the Kingston Trio and Peter, Paul & Mary. From '65 on I was mainly driven by the music of the Dave Clark Five, the Animals, Rolling Stones, Sir Douglas Quintet, and Bob Dylan. In 1970 I stumbled on Muddy Waters, Hound Dog Taylor, BB King. Little Walter and Buddy Guy. I never looked back from that. I had to play country music for my supper in the '80's, and discovered Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Freddy Fender, Johnny Cash and John Hiatt. I've always listened to Buddy Holly - never could get much into Elvis. Neil Young has been a major influence, too, along with Randy Bachman and Gordon Lightfoot. Canadian blues influences include Jack DeKeyser, Morgan Davis, Big Dave McLean, Sunny Fournier, Dutch Mason and Peter Pelletier. I've learned a lot listening to Snooky Prior, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Otis Spann, and naturally, Willie Dixon.

I love living and playing in Northern Ontario, but also like visiting blues friends in Ottawa and Halifax

My current axes include Epiphone and Vantage six-strings with built in pick-ups, a Fender Telecaster and a 1962 Fender Mustang. My keyboard is a Yamaha DGX-300. I also own a Jay Turser bass that looks like a Hoffner violin bass. I've got a collection of Hohner Marine Band and Big River harps, along with a brace of Lee Oskars for good luck. My guitar amp is a Traynor Custom Valve 40, and I own a Traynor Bass Mate and a Fender "Rumble" bass amp. I record my music using Cool Edit Pro 2.1, running on a Dell P3 with a 1 Ghz clock and 512 Mb's of RAM, with an Edirol UA-25 soundcard.