Cloutier Sings the Blues

Nearly 100 years ago, the contribution a blues legend made to the evolution of music by combining gospel and blues was well known. Today, it is still being felt by Dan Cloutier in the music of his third CD, Blind Willie’s Lighthouse, due to be released October 15^th.

Cloutier, a Hopkinton native, always enjoyed writing poetry and in middle school, he began playing the guitar.  He was able to put the two together to tell stories through his music.

“I had the ability to create and write songs by myself,” Cloutier said.

It wasn’t until after his graduation from Gordon College in 2002 that he began performing at coffee houses.  With the success of these live performances, he eventually put together his first CD in 2006 and another one in 2009.

His third CD consists of music written by the inspiration Cloutier received from listening to Blind Willie Johnson and also from some of his personal experiences growing up in New England.

“When I graduated from college," Cloutier said, " Blind Willie Johnson was the one that affected me the most. I still use him as a guide to get my inspiration.”

Johnson was a blind, street preacher who was able to write songs about religious subjects and bring it to the common person by using a blues beat.  He wasn’t noticed until after his death in the 1940s. 

“Blind Willie Johnson was a huge, powerful force of a guy for all kinds of people,” Cloutier said.  “He brought humanity to his music.”

Johnson was most noted for having NASA put one of his songs on the Voyager’s golden record which included sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth should extraterrestrials come across it.

Like Johnson, Cloutier writes about real issues.  Each song is different.

“I’m telling stories about people and how they deal with things like God,” Cloutier said.  “The good and bad things in life."

Join Cloutier and his band Oct. 15 at 8 p.m. for an unforgettable evening of music at the Amazing Things Arts Center in Framingham.