By Kate Bartlett
Bill Wharton, aka Sauce Boss, is a world renown guitar player, vocalist, and one-man band. Best known for his music on slide guitar, Bill plays the blues and cooks gumbo (yes, actual, gumbo) during his shows in a “soul shouting picnic of rock and roll brotherhood.” Each performance provides an unforgettable experience of music, soul, food, and community.
Bill was born and raised in Florida, where he currently resides. He was inspired by music at a very young age. “I remember seeing a live four-piece rock ‘n roll band, and I was really moved by it. I was entranced by their matching lame jackets, their choreography and the entire performance; I remember the drummer had a huge sizzle cymbal. “zzzzzzzzz”. It touched me deeply, and I remember thinking, I’m going to do that. That’s what I’m going to do, somehow.”
Throughout his childhood, Bill was always involved in music. He played guitar and drums in high school, alternating between rock ‘n roll, and folk music. Bill began to form his artistic style and picked up an energetic, folky sound.
Over the years, his sound has evolved and became more unique. He played shows all over Florida throughout the 1970’s, gaining experience and growing as an artist along the way, writing his own songs and lyrics. He always brought his own unique energy to the stage, something that’s always been important to him.
Bill is also very passionate about cooking. “My mother was an amazing cook, and when I moved from home, I missed her deep southern traditional cooking, along with her southern hospitality.” He dabbled in recipes, and discovered the art of cooking. “One day, my friend brought me this pepper,” he recalls. “It was a Datil pepper, a relative of the habanero, but not quite as hot. This pepper is hot, but it packs more than heat. Its flavor is its secret weapon. When you cook with it, it really excels, so I made it into a sauce.”
Bill wanted to share this sauce, so he began selling it at his shows. “I literally went through gallons in a couple of weeks. People loved it.” He brought it to a show in the 80’s at Tobacco Road in Miami, an old speakeasy, frequented by Al Capone, and he sold cases. “My friend at the end of the bar called out ‘You are da Sauce Boss!’. I was already living it, but now I had a name. The gigs are my storefront. And we have a very healthy online business at my website sauceboss.com, but the only place I sell in person is at my shows.”
Thirty-four years ago, he decided to make a gumbo during his show. 240,000 bowls later he will be cooking gumbo at Balloons in Ellicottville… for free. He has never charged a penny for his gumbo. “It’s my message to the world. I have a little bit. Want some?”
“Gumbo is dark…muddy…funky…spicy…mysterious …MAGIC! An ancient vehicle of voodoo. There some folks down in Louisiana who will not even eat another man’s gumbo. No tellin what some crazy fool will put in the gumbo. But I put the magic in my gumbo in the form of LOVE! I cook it the way yer grandma cooked it. She don’t mind stirrin’ the pot a couple of extra times. Not for those grandbabies, NO!” That’s why he invites the audience into his “kitchen” to stir the gumbo at every gig. Bill has made gumbo with alligator, rattlesnake, snappin’ turtle, (how about a 4-pound filet of red fish, dropped in the pot?), beer, whiskey, and even a slice of chocolate birthday cake for the occasion. Each gumbo is different, as is each show. “The evening, the performance is a gift. It takes on its own character in the moment, as the music blends with the crowd. Everyone is a part of the experience.”
In a way, the gumbo is a metaphor. Gumbo originated in Louisiana, but it has influences from all over the world. Okra from Africa, roux from France, file powder (sassafras) from American Natives…all these different cultural flavors are put into a pot and blended together. “The flavors are melded together, as our cultures are melded together. In a way, the gumbo is the people in our communities, and even the music, with influences from all over the world.”
With the success of the sauce and the gumbo, Bill wanted to give back to the communities that supported him and his music. He plays and cooks at homeless shelters around the country on his days off during tours. “It’s a much different vibe than my shows; it’s a heartbreaking and joyous at the same time. These people are struggling, and if I can give them a moment of happiness with my music, just a crack of a smile, then my day is made.”
Bill recently released a new album, “The Sauce”, which he describes as a “ride from the heights of blues rock to the most intimate of acoustic whisperings.” The album starts with a bluesy set of one-man-band tunes, then moves to the beach with his “Down By the sea”, played on his 1933 National guitar, and the Jimmy Buffett song “I Will Play for Gumbo” where Buffett sings about the Sauce Boss. Most of the rest of the album is in a trio format (two guitars and drums) with a soulful delivery throughout.
Everyone is invited to experience da Sauce Boss at Balloons in Ellicottville on July 1 for an unforgettable evening. For more information visit https://sauceboss.com/.
With the success of the sauce and the gumbo, Bill wanted to give back to the communities that supported him and his music. He plays and cooks at homeless shelters around the country on his days off during tours. “It’s a much different vibe than my shows; it’s a heartbreaking and joyous at the same time. These people are struggling, and if I can give them a moment of happiness with my music, just a crack of a smile, then my day is made.” Photo/planetgumbo.org