Popa Chubby Comes to Chan's

Celebrate the New Year at Chan's this Friday with Popa Chubby and his unique rocking urban blues guitar playing.

Popa Chubby, born Ted Horowitz, adopted the name Chubby back in 1990 during a jam with Parliament-Funkadelics Bernie Worrell who was singing a song, "Popa Chubby" and pointed at Horowitz. The tag fit with his imposing figure at over 300 pounds with a shaven head, tattooed arms and a goatee. His performing style has been described as Jimi Hendrix meets Robert Johnson or Motorhead meets Muddy Waters.

He has had an impressive number of albums: 20 in all since 1994. The latest, titled "Back to New York City" released worldwide in October 2011 on the Mascot/Provogue label. Chubby has flipped the blues rock label around with 11 cuts on this album including a nod to Stevie Ray Vaughan in a tongue and cheek shuffle, "She Loves Everybody But Me," title track, "A Love That Will Never Die," "Stand Before the Sun," and "Jesus Joy of Man's Desiring" which chronicles his search for spiritual enlightenment leading Chubby to practice Tai Chi and Chi Kung before his live concerts. The album represents a new level for Cubby and his soulful playing. Growing up on Hendrix, Cream and Led Zeppelin, he's used the blues as his foundation and playing style.

Chubby has come a long way since 1977 when he answered an ad for a guitarist and was hired by a crazy special effects performance artist Richard Hell. He learned then that rock and roll can be theatrical.

His first break was winning a national blues talent search sponsored by KLON, a public radio station in Long Beach, California. He won the new artist of the year award and opened at the Long Beach Blues Festival in 1992.

Throughout the 1990's Chubby played over 200 club dates a year.

With his 2002 album, "The Good, The Bad & The Chubby", he came into his own as a songwriter with a heartfelt tribute to 9/11 with "Somebody Let the Devil Out." In 2004 came "Peace, Love and Respect" an election year protest album with hard cutting tunes "Un-American Blues" about first amendment rights and "Young Men" about corporate war mongers. Next came a three disc set of "Electric Chubbyland" tipping his hat to Hendrix and a tour in 2006 and 2007. His 2010 release, "The Fight is On" chronicled his desire to reconnect with rock and blues roots.

Showtimes are 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. at the "Best Blues Club in the Country," Blues Foundation Winner 2011, Keeping the Blues Alive Award - of Woonsocket.

Please note: the above article originally stated the the show was New Year's Eve. It has been edited to reflect the correct date, which is the day before New Year's Eve.