"Texas Blues and the overall music scene in Texas has such a devoted following because of all the hundreds of musicians who play every kind of genre of music on the planet. Blues is the foundation of all other music."

Kent “Omar” Dykes: Lone Star Bluesman

Austin, besides being the Texas state capital, is home to much of the best in American roots music. Since the 1970s, gutsy blues players, renegade country pickers, and raw-voiced rockers have mixed and matched their musical styles in Austin’s thriving club scene. And that’s where Kent “Omar” Dykes holds court, too. He hails from McComb, MS, a town with the distinction of being home turf for Bo Diddley. Omar joined the original Howlers band in 1973. The band plays electric Texas blues, rock and roll and blues-rock. By 1976, the Howlers decided to move and relocate to Austin, where such clubs as the Soap Creek Saloon, the Broken Spoke, the Armadillo World Headquarters and Antone’s had created a haven for renegade music. After the Howlers band broke up in 1978, Omar formed Omar and the Howlers. Omar's first release was Big Leg Beat in 1980, shortly followed by I Told You So 1984, earning Omar & the Howlers consecutive Austin band-of-the-year awards in 1985-1986. Hard Times in the Land of Plenty, recorded on Columbia Records, followed in 1987. Dykes has also had a successful career as a solo artist, and regularly toured European countries.

(Omar Kent Dykes / Photo © by A.L. Carter)

In 2006 Omar was back with more and did another four albums in the next four years; Bamboozled 2006, On The Jimmy Reed Highway (with Jimmie Vaughan) 2007 (with an episode on Austin City Limits - see Photos/Videos section), Chapel Hill (with Nalle, Omar and Magic Slim) 2008 and then in 2009 with Big Town Playboy. An Austin Music Hall of Fame inductee, he was afflicted in 2017 with a skin illness that wasted away the flesh of his arms, and he lost the ability to perform in public. In 2020 he published a memoir, OMAR DYKES: The Life and Times of a Poor and Almost Famous Bluesman.

Interview by Michael Limnios      Special Thanks: Omar Dykes & Issa Medrano-Dykes

How do you describe your sound, music philosophy and songbook?

I would describe my sound as a diverse combination of all kinds of blues. I grew up with strong support from my parents who both loved all kinds of music. My father drove me around town to his friends’ houses for me to jam with them and learn how to play blues, soul, country, western swing, rockabilly, and pop. My hometown of McComb, Mississippi also became a strong influence on my musical career. I heard the Bo Diddley beat at a parade in 1960 and knew that moment I wanted to play that beat on a guitar.

My music has evolved along with my career. My first version of Omar and the Howlers was a 5-piece band with a drummer, bass player, me and another guitar player and a horn player. That was the band on my first record release in 1980. In 1984, the band was a trio. When I got a record deal with Columbia Records, I was playing blues rock and I loved it. As I got older, I started moving back to my roots of more authentic and acoustic blues. My philosophy is play what you love and change what you play to suit your passion. There will always be fans who like all kinds of music. Be happy with what you play and be true to yourself.

Where does your creative drive come from?

My creative drive comes from my rich background in music, my parents, the support of my family, friends, and fans, and from my wife. Music is the only career I’ve had since I was 14 years old. The creative drive also comes from everyday life and doing what I love.

"Keeping the roots of the blues alive is very important to the overall success of blues music. I’ve done my best in focusing on the older and more authentic styles of the blues in the tribute records I released and on my regular album releases." (Photo: Omar & The Howlers are Omar Kend Dykes, Gene Brandon and Bruce Jones. This trio played with Omar for 12 years and did most of the touring until 1995)

How has the music influenced your views of the world? What does the blues mean to you?

Blues means the world to me. It is in my DNA. I couldn’t abandon the blues even if I wanted to. I write many songs about my views of the world and events that are happening in the world around me. Hard Times in the Land of Plenty, No Peace in the City, Black Bottom, and many more of my original songs are about real life.  Other songs I’ve written are about relationships and women I have known. Monkey Land is about a crowd of dancers in Switzerland who were dancing by imitating monkeys as I sang I Go Ape by Neil Sedaka that I learned from the Rockin’ Vickers.  Good music is about life so people can identify with it and make a connection.

Why do you think that Texas Blues Scene continues to generate such a devoted following?

Texas Blues and the overall music scene in Texas has such a devoted following because of all the hundreds of musicians who play every kind of genre of music on the planet. Blues is the foundation of all other music. Fans in Texas appreciate blues as being the source of other genres. Texas players have a huge passion for what we do and that passion shows in our work. Most blues artists want their audience to feel like they saw something special after a show.  Fans love the devotion the artists have before they can be devoted fans of the music.

What do you miss most nowadays from the blues of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

I think it is very important for blues artists to keep the older, more authentic blues alive no matter what they play or what style they embrace. Jimmy Reed, Howlin’ Wolf, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and scores of other authentic blues masters need to be recognized for the foundation they laid and contribution they made to the art. Keeping the roots of the blues alive is very important to the overall success of blues music. I’ve done my best in focusing on the older and more authentic styles of the blues in the tribute records I released and on my regular album releases. I almost always include a cover by one of the blues masters on my records. That helps fans remember where the blues really came from. Then the artists can interpret that music however they want to.

"My life has always been about the music. I found out in school that I could write which contributed to my being a songwriter and author. I worked in a box factory and making dentures for a dentist, but those jobs were simply to help generate enough money to pay my bills so I could play music." (Omar Kent Dykes and the late great Bo Diddley / Photo © courtesy of Kent Dykes & Issa Medrano)

When did the idea of autographic book come about? What has made you laugh and what touched you from your full of experiences life?

My wife (Issa Medrano-Dykes) encouraged me to write a book. We get up early every day, drink coffee and write songs together. I tell her stories of things that happened during my tours and in my career. She started writing my stories down because she felt I had experiences my fans would want to know. My struggles, events, and successes could help other artists in their own careers. And, the time I grew up in the 1950s and 1960s in Mississippi during the Civil Rights movement was a significant time in American history. All of those components had an impact on the artist and man I became.

The love of my parents, family, friends, and fans touch me the most. The relationships I’ve found along my musical journey are the most meaningful thing in my life. What makes me laugh is how a poor country boy from Mississippi got to travel all over the world and play music in multiple countries for multiple cultures of people. Sometimes, I still can’t believe it. And I loved every place I traveled to and am grateful I was able to do it.

What moment changed your music life the most? What´s been the highlights in your life and career so far?

The moment I heard the Bo Diddley beat being played by the high school band in McComb, Mississippi in 1960, I knew I was going to be a musician. At that moment, I knew I had to play music, and it changed my life forever. Not only did I start my first band 3 years later, but I got to play with Bo Diddley himself with Omar and the Howlers. Playing with most of my musical heroes is the highlight of my life and career. 

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?

I’ve learned many lessons over the course of 50+ years of playing music. The most important lessons would be do what makes you happy and give what you do 100% effort. Doing what makes you happy helps you deal with problems as they come along. A happy person can usually cope with conflict and adversity better than someone who is miserable. Putting every effort into your work shows others how committed you are to your craft.  It didn’t matter if I was playing for 200,000 people or 2 people. I played my heart out every single show. The audience can tell and it makes a difference to them. 

"Blues means the world to me. It is in my DNA. I couldn’t abandon the blues even if I wanted to. I write many songs about my views of the world and events that are happening in the world around me. Hard Times in the Land of Plenty, No Peace in the City, Black Bottom, and many more of my original songs are about real life." (Omar Kent Dykes & Jimmie Vaughan / Photo © by Todd V. Wolfson)

Why is it important to we preserve and spread the blues? What is the role of music in today’s society?

Music is truly the universal language. I’ve played in many countries where citizens spoke languages other than English. It didn’t matter. We always managed to communicate with each other. The audience always managed to connect to the music even though I sang in English. There was a deep connection between myself and the audience because of the music. The blues is a very passionate genre of music, very soulful. The blues speaks to people. Blues needs to be preserved and saved for future generations to experience that same feeling of soulfulness within them.

Life is more than just music, is there any other field that has influence on your life and music?

My life has always been about the music. I found out in school that I could write which contributed to my being a songwriter and author. I worked in a box factory and making dentures for a dentist, but those jobs were simply to help generate enough money to pay my bills so I could play music. 

When the original Howlers broke up in 1978 and I put together Omar and the Howlers, all the five other band members got full-time jobs to raise their families. I kept playing music as my full-time job. I was unable to do anything else. 

That being said, real everyday life and jobs other people have inspire me to write about other experiences different from my own. Life is my inspiration.

Omar & The Howlers - Home

(Photo: Kent "Omar" Dykes)