C.B. Hudson
Encyclopedia
Charles Britton "C.B." Hudson III (born October 8, 1974 in Oklahoma City
, Oklahoma
) is an American musician best known as the being the lead guitarist of the rock band Blue October
from 2000 to 2010.
Hudson grew up in Dallas
and received his first guitar on his 10th birthday. He was influenced by MTV
, was a fan of heavy metal
and early on was influenced by guitarists Steve Vai
, Stevie Ray Vaughan
, Joe Satriani
, and Eric Johnson
. Later, Hudson explored the music of jazz
guitarists such as Norman Brown
and George Benson
.
Hudson played lead guitar in the jazz band at Lake Highlands High School
, and upon graduating, he attended Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos
, earning a degree in psychology in 1999. He then decided to continue his education and enrolled in the MBA
program. In October 2000, Hudson was having lunch at the Kismet Café in San Marcos and met Justin Furstenfeld
of Blue October
. Hudson introduced himself and passed along his demo
recording to Furstenfeld. Hudson auditioned for the band, and was invited to be lead guitarist. Hudson's first concert with Blue October was December 9, 2000 at Lion's Pavilion in San Marcos. At the end of the Fall 2000 semester, Hudson left grad school with nine hours remaining on his degree, and joined Blue October's Consent to Treatment
tour.
Consent to Treatment did not sell as well as had been hoped, and in 2002 Blue October was dropped from Universal Records
. The band decided to continue independently and toured through the end of 2002.
On Blue October's next album, History for Sale
, Hudson's heavy metal influence is especially apparent in the song "Somebody" which Hudson co-wrote with Justin Furstenfeld and Blue Miller. In 2003, the band released the album on independent Dallas-based label Brando Records. With their new album, the band tried once more for a major-label deal. They showcased the new material in New York City
, and it was the song "Somebody" that sealed a new contract with Universal.
For Blue October's album, Foiled
, Hudson wrote the music for the popular song "18th Floor Balcony" and his jazz influence shines during live performances of "Everlasting Friend" which features a jazz guitar solo to close the song.
C.B. continues to write and record jazz-influenced instrumental solo material under his publishing name Reflxblue.
Hudson married Elizabeth "Betsy" Rhett Young in Austin, Texas January 16, 2010.
On December 14, 2010 it was announced that C.B. Hudson was leaving Blue October
to pursue other opportunities. Although he was no longer a member of the band, he contributed guitar to Blue October's 2011 single "The Chills" which appeared on their album Any Man in America
.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
) is an American musician best known as the being the lead guitarist of the rock band Blue October
Blue October
Blue October is a rock band from Houston, Texas. The band was formed in 1995 and currently consists of Justin Furstenfeld , Jeremy Furstenfeld , Ryan Delahoussaye , Matt Noveskey , and Julian Mandrake .-History:Blue October was formed by lead...
from 2000 to 2010.
Hudson grew up in Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
and received his first guitar on his 10th birthday. He was influenced by MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, was a fan of heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
and early on was influenced by guitarists Steve Vai
Steve Vai
Steven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....
, Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stephen Ray "Stevie Ray" Vaughan was an American electric blues guitarist and singer. He was the younger brother of Jimmie Vaughan and frontman for Double Trouble, a band that included bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton. Born in Dallas, Vaughan moved to Austin at the age of 17 and...
, Joe Satriani
Joe Satriani
Joseph "Joe" Satriani is an American instrumental rock guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, with multiple Grammy Award nominations...
, and Eric Johnson
Eric Johnson
Eric Johnson is an American guitarist. Though he is best known for his success in the instrumental rock format, Johnson regularly incorporates jazz, fusion, gospel and country and western music into his recordings...
. Later, Hudson explored the music of jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
guitarists such as Norman Brown
Norman Brown (guitarist)
Norman Brown is a smooth jazz guitarist & singer, often compared to his contemporary George Benson.-Overview:...
and George Benson
George Benson
George Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
.
Hudson played lead guitar in the jazz band at Lake Highlands High School
Lake Highlands High School
Lake Highlands High School is a secondary school serving grades 10-12 located in the Lake Highlands area of Dallas, Texas, United States, primarily serving the Lake Highlands community. The school is part of the Richardson Independent School District and is located centrally within Lake Highlands...
, and upon graduating, he attended Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos
San Marcos, Texas
San Marcos is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, and is the seat of Hays County. Located within the metropolitan area, the city is located on the Interstate 35 corridor—between Austin and San Antonio....
, earning a degree in psychology in 1999. He then decided to continue his education and enrolled in the MBA
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
program. In October 2000, Hudson was having lunch at the Kismet Café in San Marcos and met Justin Furstenfeld
Justin Furstenfeld
Justin Steward Furstenfeld is a record producer, artist, author, and the lead singer, guitarist, lyricist and frontman of the American rock band Blue October.-Personal life:...
of Blue October
Blue October
Blue October is a rock band from Houston, Texas. The band was formed in 1995 and currently consists of Justin Furstenfeld , Jeremy Furstenfeld , Ryan Delahoussaye , Matt Noveskey , and Julian Mandrake .-History:Blue October was formed by lead...
. Hudson introduced himself and passed along his demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
recording to Furstenfeld. Hudson auditioned for the band, and was invited to be lead guitarist. Hudson's first concert with Blue October was December 9, 2000 at Lion's Pavilion in San Marcos. At the end of the Fall 2000 semester, Hudson left grad school with nine hours remaining on his degree, and joined Blue October's Consent to Treatment
Consent to Treatment
Consent to Treatment is the second album by Blue October. It was recorded at Bay 7 Studios in Valley Village and Media Vortex in Burbank, California, and released in the United States August 15, 2000, by Universal Records...
tour.
Consent to Treatment did not sell as well as had been hoped, and in 2002 Blue October was dropped from Universal Records
Universal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
. The band decided to continue independently and toured through the end of 2002.
On Blue October's next album, History for Sale
History for Sale
History for Sale is the third album by Blue October. The title of the album comes from a lyric in the song "Amazing". It was recorded at Sound Arts Studios in Houston, Texas, and at Stomp Box Studios in Arlington, Texas, and released in the United States on April 8, 2003, by Brando Records...
, Hudson's heavy metal influence is especially apparent in the song "Somebody" which Hudson co-wrote with Justin Furstenfeld and Blue Miller. In 2003, the band released the album on independent Dallas-based label Brando Records. With their new album, the band tried once more for a major-label deal. They showcased the new material in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and it was the song "Somebody" that sealed a new contract with Universal.
For Blue October's album, Foiled
Foiled
Foiled is the fourth album by Blue October. The album was certified gold in the United States on August 9, 2006, and on February 22, 2007, was certified platinum. The album is also popular in Canada where it has also achieved platinum status....
, Hudson wrote the music for the popular song "18th Floor Balcony" and his jazz influence shines during live performances of "Everlasting Friend" which features a jazz guitar solo to close the song.
C.B. continues to write and record jazz-influenced instrumental solo material under his publishing name Reflxblue.
Hudson married Elizabeth "Betsy" Rhett Young in Austin, Texas January 16, 2010.
On December 14, 2010 it was announced that C.B. Hudson was leaving Blue October
Blue October
Blue October is a rock band from Houston, Texas. The band was formed in 1995 and currently consists of Justin Furstenfeld , Jeremy Furstenfeld , Ryan Delahoussaye , Matt Noveskey , and Julian Mandrake .-History:Blue October was formed by lead...
to pursue other opportunities. Although he was no longer a member of the band, he contributed guitar to Blue October's 2011 single "The Chills" which appeared on their album Any Man in America
Any Man in America
-Reviews:The album was released to mixed reviews, Allmusic rating the album with 2 out of 5 stars and stating "Justin Furstenfeld has no qualms about putting his domestic problems on display, and while heartache and ruin are well-worn rock & roll topics, self-indulgence works best when tempered...
.
Trivia
- KismetKismetKismet may refer to:* Fate or Destiny in Turkish and Hindi-Urdu, a predetermined course of events, from Persian qesmat, from Arabic qisma, lot, from qasama, to divide, allot...
(the name of the café where Justin Furstenfeld and C.B. Hudson met) means "fate" in Turkish, Urdu, Hindi and Arabic. - C.B. Hudson and Blue October drummer Jeremy Furstenfeld were born on the same day.
Discography
- History for SaleHistory for SaleHistory for Sale is the third album by Blue October. The title of the album comes from a lyric in the song "Amazing". It was recorded at Sound Arts Studios in Houston, Texas, and at Stomp Box Studios in Arlington, Texas, and released in the United States on April 8, 2003, by Brando Records...
(2003) - Argue With a TreeArgue with a TreeArgue with a Tree... is the fourth album by Blue October. The title of the album is a lyric in the song "Weight of the World". The album was recorded live on June 4, 2004, at Lakewood Theater in Dallas, Texas, and released as a double CD and DVD in the United States in 2004 by Brando/Universal...
(2004) - FoiledFoiledFoiled is the fourth album by Blue October. The album was certified gold in the United States on August 9, 2006, and on February 22, 2007, was certified platinum. The album is also popular in Canada where it has also achieved platinum status....
(2006) - Foiled for the Last TimeFoiled for the Last TimeFoiled for the Last Time is a two disc set by Blue October released by Universal Records on September 25, 2007. It contains an extended version of their Foiled album and a live recording disc....
(2007) - Approaching NormalApproaching NormalApproaching Normal is the fifth studio album by alternative rock band Blue October. The album was released on March 24, 2009. and debuted at number thirteen on the Billboard charts.- Background :...
(2009) - Ugly Side: An Acoustic Evening With Blue OctoberUgly Side: An Acoustic Evening With Blue OctoberUgly Side: An Acoustic Evening With Blue October is a live acoustic album by Blue October. It is their third live album, and eighth album overall. The album was recorded during a sold out three-day tour of Houston, Austin, and Dallas July 22-25, 2010 during which the band played two acoustic...
(2010) - Any Man in AmericaAny Man in America-Reviews:The album was released to mixed reviews, Allmusic rating the album with 2 out of 5 stars and stating "Justin Furstenfeld has no qualms about putting his domestic problems on display, and while heartache and ruin are well-worn rock & roll topics, self-indulgence works best when tempered...
(2011)