Blue Lords Sail Away with Rock Legends

By Jeff Maisey

Since forming in 1991, the Blue Lords – Tony Bullard (guitar/vocals), Steve Archer (drums/vocals), Steve Wiley (bass /vocals) and Charlie Aycock (keyboards, vocals) – have performed the most popular Southern and classic rock songs of the era made famous by Lynyrd Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet, Led Zeppelin and the like. Now the Hampton Roads-based group is about to set sail January 10 through 14 on the Rock Legends Cruise and perform as part of a 24-band lineup that includes mega hit-makers Paul Rogers of Bad Company (“Can’t Get Enough,” “Shooting Star”), Foreigner (“Cold As Ice,” “Jukebox Hero”), Kansas (“Carry On Wayward Son,” “Dust in the Wind”), Bachman Turner (“You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet,” “Let It Ride”), 38 Special (“Hold On Loosely,” “Caught up in You”), Blue Oyster Cult (“Don’t Fear the Reaper,” “Godzilla”), Marshall Tucker Band (“Can’t You See,” “Fire on the Mountain”), Foghat (“Fool for the City,” “Slow Ride”), Black Oak Arkansas (“Jim Dandy to the Rescue”), Atlanta Rhythm Section (“Champagne Jam,” “I’m Not Gonna Let it Bother Me Tonight”), Pat Travers Band (“Killer”) and the Artimus Pyle Band of Lynyrd Skynyrd fame (“Sweet Home Alabama,” “Free Bird”).

Rock Legends Cruise II is a fundraiser for the Native American Heritage Association.  The organization works with the struggling Sioux tribes on reservations in South Dakota to help provide food, clothing, fuel and other daily necessities of life.

“Tony Bullard and his band mates have gone above and beyond to help promote the cruise and the cause and are bringing a large fan base onboard with them,” said event organizer Pam Myers.

Many classic rock and country recording artists hit the high seas with fans. Big names including Jimmy Buffett love the connection with diehard fans willing to spend big bucks for the experience. Bullard recalls one such cruise.

“I started out on the Lynyrd Skynyrd Simple Man cruises, I would come back and tell the guys how great they were never thinking that we would ever play one,” he said. “It’s very exciting to say the least. I went last year on the Rock Legends Cruise. We have opened for probably every band on this cruise one time or another so we have made a lot of friends with some of the guys through the years, especially 38 Special, Molly Hatchet, and Lynyrd Skynyrd.”

Steve Archer started the Blue Lords on a lark. The former drummer of Norfolk-based recording artist States had also played in Wild Kingdom, so his name carried respect, even after his popular pop rock bands had called it quits and he was temporarily without a group.

“I conned a club owner into believing I had a band that could play his club that weekend,” Archer said. “Then I had to go form a band. I called Tony Bullard and (former original guitarist) Keith(Matt)Matthews along with Sea of Souls bassist Andrew McNeely and we played two days later for the first time. We really only thought we’d play through the summer, make a few bucks and have some fun and that would be it. Who knew that 21 years later we’d still be playing? Though we have had some lineup changes and we have taken a few hiatus’ to do other projects – Tony did a stint with The Jimmy Van Zant Band and I was in the band Nylon and was the original drummer for Butter – we just never really broke up. We’ve been extremely fortunate to have had such a loyal evolving fan base through the years and we still enjoy playing together. As a matter of fact, we probably sound better now than we’ve ever sounded before so it comes as a real treat being able to be on the Rock Legends cruise with over a hundred of our fans.”