Michigan Music History Podcast -- MMHP989 · Scott Baker, Gary Johnson, Fred Reif, Mike Beattie

Michigan Music History Podcast-Greg Nagy: The Veteran Root Doctor Of The Blues Part 1 of 2

·1 hr 4 min·5 clips

Greg Nagy quit his blues band after questioning whether he should be playing the music at all.

This episode features blues guitarist and singer Greg Nagy in conversation with hosts Scott Baker, Dr. J, Fred Reif, and Mr. Mike. Nagy is a Michigan music veteran known for his work with Root Doctor and as a solo artist. The discussion traces his musical journey from his Flint roots to national recognition. Nagy recalls receiving his first guitar at age 12 and his first concert being Ted Nugent at Bay City's Ingalls Stadium. He mentions early influences like the radio host Boyd in Flint, who introduced him to the blues harmonica player Dr. Ross, a Flint resident. A debated story involves whether Eric Clapton ever sent a limousine to bring Dr. Ross to a concert or pay him royalties. Nagy attended Flint Central High School and describes a vibrant local music scene where clubs had bands playing seven nights a week. He played in a college band called Smokehouse at Central Michigan University, covering material from the "Showdown!" album with Robert Cray. An interesting moment from his youth involved getting a severe shock from an ungrounded microphone during a high school play, which the audience mistook for a punk rock scream. He later took a hiatus from music due to personal concerns about cultural appropriation in playing traditional blues, a concern his professor, Dr. Robert Newby, dismissed. After nearly pursuing a PhD in sociology at Wayne State, he committed to music full-time in 1993. He joined the Lansing band Acme Jam, serving as a house band at The Green Door and playing five sets a night to hone his skills. Following a move to Virginia, he returned to Michigan around 2004 and connected with organist Jim Alfredson, leading to his role in Root Doctor. That band's album was nominated for a Blues Music Award in the soul blues category in 2008. Nagy's own solo work earned him a Best New Artist nomination at the 2010 Blues Music Awards in Memphis. He shares a memorable anecdote about nervously signing a guitar alongside legendary signatures at a Hall of Fame dinner, with blues greats like Pinetop Perkins and Hubert Sumlin in the room. The tone is casual, nostalgic, and conversational, filled with personal anecdotes and insider music history. The style is interview-based, with the hosts prompting stories and sharing their own connections to the people and places mentioned. This episode will deeply appeal to fans of Michigan's blues and rock history, especially those interested in the Flint and Lansing scenes. Listeners seeking a highly structured, topic-focused narrative might find the free-flowing, reminiscing style less engaging.

As heard by us

A patient hang on Michigan music history with lived-in detail and a loose, conversational pace.

Greg Nagy's conversation moves through Michigan music history with lived-in detail, especially when he talks about stretching beyond his comfort zone, taking a micro-cassette recorder to sets, and learning the rhythm section's cues by ear.

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Why you'd press play

Press play if you want Greg Nagy in a Michigan Hall of Fame conversation about playing, learning, and moving into a different Virginia scene.

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