Jim McCarty and Johnny Bee Badanjek Birthday Bash!

Jim McCarty is an American blues rock guitarist from Detroit, Michigan. He has performed with Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels,[1] the Buddy Miles Express, Cactus, The Rockets, the Detroit Blues Band, and more recently, Mystery Train. Since about 2014 Jim McCarty has joined forces with Detroit blues guitarist/songwriter Kenny Parker in The Kenny Parker Band along with several other veteran Detroit blues/rock musicians. He also makes guest appearances with other Detroit bands, most notably for an annual pre New Year's Eve party at one of his favorite clubs, "Callahan's", with The Millionaires, a nine piece jump blues band.

He also recorded with Jimi Hendrix and Bob Seger. He plays in a heavy blues-rock style that has inspired fledgling guitar players for more than 40 years.

In an August 2006 interview on VH1 Classic, Ted Nugent remarked "I'm the only guy in rock'n'roll that plays that hollow body jazz guitar and it's because in 1960 I saw Jimmy McCarty creating those big fat full chords like I do on "Stranglehold"; I learned that from Jimmy McCarty. Remember the name Jimmy McCarty. He is as important as Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry and Les Paul...a god on guitar."

Johnny Bee

At 16, Badanjek (pronounced:buh-DAN-jek) was the drummer for the Detroit rock and roll band Billy Lee and The Rivieras who later changed their name to Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels. The rock critic Dave Marsh later described him as an "unknown genius" for his drum break on their single "Devil with a Blue Dress On".[1]

After the group disbanded in 1967, Badanjek toured and recorded with Edgar Winter, Alice Cooper, Dr. John, Bob Seger, Ronnie Montrose, Nils Lofgren and others.

In 1972, he co-founded The Rockets, in which he currently is drummer and backing vocalist, as well as songwriter.

Rockets' singles written by Badanjek included "Can't Sleep", "Turn Up the Radio" and "Takin' It Back".

In 1992, he toured Europe with Nils Lofgren and drummed on Lofgren's Rykodisc release, The Crooked Line. He later toured and recorded with The Romantics, and currently working with his new band Broken Toys, writing and demo-ing new material.

Art career

Badanjek is also a self-taught painter, having learned by studying other painters and their philosophies. His paintings are in collections around the country[which?], in galleries[which?], art fairs[which?] and events around Detroit[which?], as well as The Gallery of the Arts Johnny Bee Badanjek Gallery