Bill Wharton brings his swamp-funk, slide guitar-one-man band, and a pot of gumbo all across the US and to Canada, Europe, and Asia. The Sauce Boss cooks gumbo while performing; serving up bowls to the audience at the end of the shows. He has served well over 200, 000 people for free at his legendary live shows. Sauce Boss is the guy Jimmy Buffett sings about in "I Will Play for Gumbo". Albert Castiglia's recent version of Wharton’s blues anthem, "Let the Big Dog Eat" hit #1 on the Roots Music Report. And his tunes won awards from the soundtrack for the 2020 rockumentary, “Jimmy Carter Rock and Roll President”. Sauce Boss can also offer a trio "Sauce Boss with Extra Sauce" if preferred.
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Write a reviewPrice range: $1500 and up
Languages: English
Gig length: 60 - 120 minutes
Insurance: $1,000,000 - Professional Liability policy
Generally shows are between an hour and two hours (with break). Gumbo is cooked during the show and served up to the audience at no extra charge to the audience members at the end of the performance. A list of gumbo ingredients will be provided to the planner or can be viewed at (link hidden)
Bill Wharton, AKA Sauce Boss, has brought his swamp-funk, slide guitar, and a pot of gumbo all across the US and to Canada, Europe, and Asia. He slathers his show with his hot sauce, and splooges a big old mess of it into the gumbo. He invites the audience to participate in stirring the pot, and at the end of the show, everyone eats. He has served hundreds of thousands of bowls for free at his legendary live shows. Bill Wharton mixes media like cornbread in his performance. Hot sauce, blues, chicken, funk, onions and okra, peppers and gospel, soul and seafood and slide guitar, all go into the gumbo pot that we call community. All of this is the reason they call him The Sauce Boss. Bon Appetit!
Jimmy Buffett sings about him in “I Will Play for Gumbo”. Wharton’s anthem, “Let the Big Dog Eat” was included on Buffett’s “Late Night Menu at the Margaritaville Cafe” album. Albert Castiglia released his cover of the tune, and it hit #1 on blues charts. Let the Big Dog Eat has also appeared in the movies “Something Wild”(Jonathon Demme), and the Rock Doc, “Jimmy Carter Rock and Roll President.” This tune and sixteen other works in the documentary earned Wharton “‘Best Original Score” from the Los Angeles Film Awards.
Sauce Boss travels with a small PA that should be adequate for events up to 300 people. For larger events a sound system will need to be provided. A covered stage and lights would also need to be provided. Info available at (link hidden)
Sauce Boss plays original songs as can be found on youtube or Spotify. Also at his website (link hidden)
For shows that require fly-ins, backline is required
Also have a list of gumbo ingredients that need to be provided, prepped and ready to throw into the gumbo. (remove)
Require stage and stage lights, and usually a PA and sound man (although we travel with a small PA).
Steps so that Sauce Boss can enter into the audience is required. Sauce Boss travels with a wireless microphone, and wireless transmitter for his guitars.
Blues Band
