by Richard SkellyMinneapolis native Teddy Morgan began playing guitar in his early teen years. As a singer and songwriter, Morgan was first influenced by Bob Dylan, but after hearing an album by Lightnin' Hopkins, he decided to pursue a straightahead blues track instead. Although he paid attention to Dylan's blues as well as the Allman Brothers and Jimi Hendrix, Morgan wanted to play blues full-time; but, like so many other younger players, he is influenced almost as much by blues-rock as he is by classic blues players like Hopkins. Morgan quit high school at 17 and the next year joined the Lamont Cranston Band, which led to the chance to record and tour with James Harman and R.J. Mischo. The Fabulous Thunderbirds' Kim Wilson heard Morgan playing guitar in a club and took Morgan under his wing, encouraging him to come to Austin to check out the blues club scene there. Clifford Antone, the owner of Austin's longest-running blues club, Antone's, flew Morgan down to Austin to perform, and Morgan soon became part of the talent roster at the Antone's label. When the Antone's label formed a partnership with Discovery Records, Morgan's recording career got a boost, as much of the Antone's back catalog was reissued. Morgan has two albums out on the Antone's/Discovery label: 1994's Ridin' In Style, with his band the Sevilles, and 1996's Louisiana Rain, which features Kim Wilson on harp, Derek O'Brien and Gurf Morlix on guitars, and "Blue" Gene Taylor on piano. His Hightone label debut Lost Love & Highways followed in 1999.\r