Eric Ambel

One of the leading lights of the roots rock movement, Eric "Roscoe" Ambel has been making a name for himself since the late '70s with his fiery guitar work, witty but passionate songwriting, and no-nonsense approach to rock & roll as both a sideman and a producer. Born in Batavia, IL, Ambel's career in music began while he was studying at the University of Wyoming. A fan of straight-ahead rock who wasn't much impressed with disco or corporate rock, Ambel had his ears opened up in 1978 by a Ramones/Dictators double bill and soon met up with three like-minded rock fans to form a punk group called the Dirty Dogs. The band cut a self-released single, "Sorority Girl"/"Eric's Move," and gigged frequently around Wyoming and Colorado before changing their name to the Accelerators and relocating to Los Angeles in 1979. While they failed to make a major impact in California, Ambel did score a gig with Joan Jett, who was putting together a new band after the breakup of the Runaways. Ambel toured and recorded as a member of Joan Jett & the Blackhearts until 1981, when he moved to New York and joined forces with former Dictators guitarist Scott "Top Ten" Kempner to form the Del Lords. A regional success on the East Coast and a favorite with critics, the Del Lords released four studio albums and a live set between 1984 and 1990, when Ambel left the band shortly before they called it quits. In 1988, while the Del Lords were on a break, Ambel cut his first solo album, named for the informal band he'd put together for small-club jams, Roscoe's Gang, which featured guest spots from Syd Straw, Peter Holsapple, and Skid Roper. Ambel cut a follow-up Roscoe's Gang set in 1994, the somber but hard-edged Loud & Lonesome. While working on Loud & Lonesome, Ambel began collaborating on songs...