Max Hightower
Biography Max Hightower
Max Hightower
was born and raised in the Upstate of South Carolina. At age 12, he bought his first Blues cassette tape, 'Muddy Mississippi Live' by Muddy Waters. The new and mysterious sound of the music had such an immediate impact on him that in no time he was banging around on his Grandmother's Silvertone guitar. However, it was the Harmonica that became his instrument of choice. He found that there was something almost spiritual about having an instrument that close to his voice, giving every breath meaning. That little 10 hole harp led him down the path of composing his own songs, playing the piano, bass, guitar, singing, teaching and producing.
By his mid-teens, Max was jamming in smoky barrooms, soaking up lessons on what to do (and definitely what not to do) on rowdy stages. As he honed his chops on harmonica, piano, guitar, and eventually vocals, he learned the harmonica player could be an expendable position if he didn’t also bring some extra flavor to the band. So, he evolved into a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer – creating his own voice in the genre that first captured his imagination. Over the years, Max has shared the stage with some of the very legends who first fueled his musical passion, including Hubert Sumlin, Willie Smith, Bob Margolin, Bob Stroger, Eddie Shaw, Leon Everette, Steve Guyger, Kim Wilson and Bobby Rush.
Though he was a founding member of Mac Arnold and Plate Full O’ Blues, Max’s journey has always been about finding that raw, unfiltered groove – constantly writing, touring, and experimenting. His last album, Nothin’ But the TRUTH, was a testament to that spirit. Fed up with studios insisting on click tracks and overdubs, he hit the road for New Orleans and laid down tracks at BigTone Records, where reel-to-reel machines, vintage RCA ribbon mics and vintage tube amps recaptured the no-frills soul of a live band. Backed by bassist Steadman Fleetwood Williams Sr., drummer Brandon Phelps, and a rotating lineup of New Orleans horns and piano wizards, Max poured everything into the sessions – recording in real-time, “mistakes and all,” the way Muddy Waters and Johnny Winter did back in the day.
