“One Hand” Dan Russell is a 30 year old ex Professional Wrestler turned Delta Blues musician from Tuscaloosa Alabama. Dan was born with one hand due to a birth defect that never seemed to slow him down. As a child and through his teens, Dan was a successful athlete playing football, baseball, wrestling, and studying such martial arts as Kenpo, Judo, and Weeping Jiu Jitsu from early as nine years old. After retiring from a thirteen year career as a pro wrestler that started at age 15, Dan came to be a musician after stealing his first guitar from a remodeled Ruby Tuesdays restaurant. Dan soon became fascinated with bottle neck slide guitar stylings of the Mississippi players, and saved money from his job loading beer trucks to purchase his first resonator guitar. With his new guitar, Dan started engaging his own audiences playing on the streets of Florence Al, and local venues in the Muscle Shoals Area. Dan never sought for acceptance as a local performer, but was determined to bring people to the delta players he loves and admires. Soon after Dan relocated to Tuscaloosa with his wife Lizzie, he had envisioned a 3 neck cigar box guitar. Dan no stranger to the police during street performances, thought having three guitars in one would make faster getaways. At the time he didn’t have the money to purchase the guitar, so he made a trade with his beloved resonator guitar to get it. A few short years later Dan’s three neck guitar called the Banjukimer became an iconic instrument in the homemade instrument world. Developing a new style of playing involving a mixture of Claw hammer Banjo and Lap steel guitar, Dan’s blues style of the 4-string Cigar Box Guitar has proven itself unique and impossible to imitate. Dan is also proficient in playing almost any instrument he can get his hands on. Dan recently accepted the title of “Cigar Box Ukulele Guru” and has launched a string of lesson videos for CigarBoxguitar.com. Dan has played for numerous venues, Cigar Box Guitar festivals, and was a well-remembered busker at Nickel Guitars at Bonnaroo Music Festival 2014. Dan has also been featured in 2 Tuscaloosa tourism videos, and is well known by many for his random street performances on local street corners across the south east. The future of a Bluesman is always unclear, but Dan has recently booked a Belgium tour at the end of October and is recording his first album in July titled “Self-Medication” with his full band.
The One Hand Dan Band
The One Hand Dand Band consist of "One Hand" Dan Russell, "Baby" Bart Lynn, and new Drummer "Sunshine. Other then awesome nicknames this trio is a rockin juke style blues band! Dan plays signature custom made instruments mostly 4-strings max, Baby Bart plays a 2 string Bass, and Sunshine plays drums and washboard. The trio is influenced by the North Mississippi juke joints. The style of music, droning techniques that create dark vibes, and people looking for self medication from everyday life. The OHDB plays blues orginal to intresting covers of Robert Johnson,Son House,Charley Patton,Rl Burnside, and Junior Kimbrough. When the OHDB gets on stage they have one goal in mind.... To let go as a group and play hard! Hard cuts from Dan's slide guitar to the droning bass of Bart's 2-String Cigarbox Bass, and agressive drums from Sunshine the guys will definately bring a hard blues experince that will make you move! All of the Instruments are made by Baby bart's dad, Bart Lynn Senior of Hamaki guitars out of Tuscaloosa Al. The OHDB also helps customers of Hamaki Guitars with ideas and suggestions for their custom made instruments. This band started in Tuscaloosa Al, and has been rollin and tumblin since. The album "Self Medication" will be recorded with KJP Studio in the next few months.
