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Birthplace - Fort Dodge, Iowa
Birthdate - December 17, 1947
Curent Residence - Jonesboro, Arkansas
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Larry Heyl aka "Hairy Larry" learned to play the blues as a teenager
living in Chicago. Long nights spent hanging out in the Chicago Blues
Clubs formed the basis for his own unique guitar style. In the early 70s
he began playing harp. Heavily influenced by Paul Butterfield, Junior
Wells, Little Walter, and Frank Frost his harp work displays those low
deep tones that characterize the Delta Blues.
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Moving to the Delta in the '70s provided the last ingredient for the
cohesion of his music. The 1996 album "Born in Chicago, Living in
Mecca" talks about the move and how much it meant to him as a performer
and song writer. The music and musicians of the Northern Delta inspired
one the cuts "Mecca" as well as the name of the entire release.
In the 80's he picked up the name Hairy Larry and it stuck. Hairy
Larry and the Flying Hungarians evolved from a pickup band that
played ocassional parties and gigs.
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First they were Hairy Larry and The Hungarians and then the Flying was
added and the rest shall we say is history. Now the band has grown to
include a horn section, backup vocalists and occasionally the best blues
fidler in Northeast Arkansas
Larry Heyl's day time job, a computer consultant and database
programmer, at Jonesboro Computer Services keeps him busy. In the early
80s he founded the Jonesboro User Group which was the first computer
user group in Northeast Arkansas.
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In 1991 Larry and his wife Vivian began putting together a festival to
showcase regional talent. Blues Fest was born from an annual backyard
bar-b-que jam session that finally got to big to stay in the back yard.
The talent to be found in the Northeast Arkansas area was and is
monumental with more appearing each year.
In 1992 Larry started bringing some of that talent to the area via a
radio show. Producer and host of "Something Blue" on KASU, public radio
from Arkansas State University; he features recordings of regional
artists in live performances.
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In 1997 Hairy Larry put together his second band "Aaron Love and His TV
Band" with Aaron Love and Pansy Hall sharing vocals. The band has been
performing at Blues Fest since 1991 but in 97 began broadening their
performance schedules to include other venues.
Hear Hairy Larry and other Delta Musicians on the Internet. The
Flying Hungarians album "Love Stuff" and a "Something Blue"
promotional tape recorded at Hairy Larry's in January, 1996 are now
featured on the
AudioNet CD Jukebox.
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