Ryan Delahoussaye

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Ryan Delahoussaye
Background information
Born January 14, 1976 (1976-01-14) (age 32)
Genre(s) rock music
Occupation(s) musician
Instrument(s) Vocals
Violin
Electric Violin
Viola
Mandolin
Keyboards
tambourine
Label(s) Universal Records
Associated acts Blue October
Harvest
Bayou Roux

Ryan Paul Delahoussaye (born January 14, 1976 in Houston, TX, USA) is a multi-instrumentalist musician and co-founding member of the American rock band Blue October. Delahoussaye is a classically trained violinist who also plays mandolin and piano. He attended Houston High School for Performing and Visual Arts, where he met and became close friends with Justin Furstenfeld.[1]

Blue October became successful due in no small part to the prominence of violin in the band's music. The violin, which takes over as the lead instrument in many of the songs, distinguishes the group's sound from that of most other contemporary rock bands. Delahoussaye’s pizzicato technique of plucking the strings of the electric violin are integral to Blue October’s unique sound on songs such as Ugly Side, Clumsy Cardhouse, and Balance Beam. Of Delahoussaye's playing style Justin Furstenfeld said:

Ryan does wicked things with the violin. He plays re-verbs, delays and wahs on it. It's another instrument, It's not a violin anymore. It's like another guitar. It gives us the Blue in Blue October. Without him it would be much less moody, and I love moody.[2]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Wilps, Lindsay. Blue October finds identity on the fence, The North Texas Daily, November 30, 2007.
  2. ^ "One Bad Month Leads to One Good Band", Texas Music, Fall 2000, page 66