Kilgore native’s latest album hits top of blues charts

Published 5:35 am Sunday, April 16, 2023

Recording artist and Kilgore native Ally Venable’s most recent album, “Real Gone,” has spent the past two weeks in the top spot of Billboard Magazine’s Top 100 Blues albums category.

“It’s really cool that ‘Real Gone’ hit No. 1,” Venable said from Germany, where she and her band are on tour. “I would just like to thank my fans for continuing to buy and stream my music.”

Billboard Magazine, a music industry focused publication, began ranking top-selling songs in 1958 with the introduction of its weekly Billboard Hot 100 chart and has since expanded its tracking to the top-selling albums in many genres of music.

RELATED, ETX View feature: Kilgore native living dream as blues artist, mentored by legends

“Real Gone” was released March 24 on Ruf Records.

“Venable’s fifth solo album reveals a guitarist, singer, and songwriter playing at the top of her game,” says No Depression Magazine‘s review, “delivering sizzling guitar riffs and towering vocals on songs that demonstrate her ability to cover every style of blues with stunning bravado.”

The 24-year-old blues rock guitar player, singer and songwriter released her debut EP at the age of 14, and by the time she was 15, she was on her first tour, balancing school and growing as an artist.

“I started singing in the children’s choir at church when I was about 4, and then I started playing guitar when I was like 11 or 12,” Venable said. “Once I started listening to (Stevie Ray Vaughan), I got into blues.”

Venable’s tour will return to the United States in mid-May, and her next Texas performance is scheduled July 21 at House of Blues Houston.

For information, go to allyvenableband.com/tour .

In the September/October 2022 issue of ETX View, Ally Venable was highlighted. To read more about the Kilgore native who is living her dream as a blues artist, visit www.bit.ly/etxviewvenable.