Berry Oakley’s Indigenous Suspects
Berry is the son of the founding bass player of the Allman Brothers Band, Berry Oakley.
Growing up in Los Angeles with his step dad ,“Dad” Chuck Negron (Three Dog Night), and his mother, Julia, he clearly inherited the gift and love of music trough his extended family’s vast community of creative music talent.
…Oakley is a vintage nut who has worked with countless musicians, artists, producers and song writers over the years.
He’s toured with several bands, including his godfather, Robby Krieger (of the Doors) band, “RKB” from 1991-2000.
In 1992 Berry joined Bloodline. Bloodline’s line-up included Berry Oakley, Waylon Krieger, Lou Segreti, Joe Bonamassa and Erin Davis (son of Miles Davis). Releasing their self-titled CD for EMI Records, produced by Joe Hardy (ZZ Top, Jeff Healey) in August of 1994, Bloodline’s first single, “Stone Cold Hearted” charted; 19 on Album Network’s Powercuts, 21 on Radio & Records’ Rock Tracks and 32 on Billboard’s Rock Tracks. Bloodline toured the US extensively with the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Tesla, ZZ Top, Bad Company, Bob Dylan, Collective Soul, Eddie Money, Foreigner, Robby Krieger, Ian Moore, B.B. King, and more. They also appeared on Late Night with Conan O’Brian, as well as many other talk shows and programs.
In 1996 Berry put together OKB (Oakley Krieger Band) with Waylon Krieger, Duane Betts (son of Dickey Betts), & Alec Puro (Deadsy). OKB slammed the circuit with its heavy Southern rock guitar sound earning Berry the Rock City News award “best bass player” in 1997.
In 2000, Berry joined Blue Floyd, a jam band whose goal was to take Pink Floyd’s music back to its blues roots. With top artists like Marc Ford (Black Crowes), Matt Abts (Gov’t Mule), Johnny Neel (Allman Brothers) & Allen Woody (Gov’t Mule), and later Audley Freed (Cry of Love, Black Crowes), Jeff Pevar (Crosby Stills & Nash), & Alvin Youngblood Heart. Blue Floyd has backed such greats as Matt “Guitar” Murphy, Steve Cropper, Buddy Miles, and many others as they toured extensively through the US & Europe.
When he wasn’t out with Blue Floyd, Berry could be found playing in Marc Ford & the Sinners as well as Malibu’s notorious Backbone69. (Berry appears on Marc Ford’s solo debut record “It’s About Time.”) Since 2004 he’s been playing in another notorious Malibu band 27Miles (formally 454.) Berry appears on there debut record “Bringin It Back”.
“My goal is to learn as much as I can from music and the musician’s that I’ve been blessed to work with. And I plan to continue playing and to soon be producing bands and artist as well as my own music,” Berry
From 2002- 2013 Berry played bass for his Step-Dad Chuck Negron’s Band. “CNB”.
Chuck is the original hit-making vocalist behind such Three Dog Night hits as “Joy to the World” and “One is the loneliest number. “It was a joy working with him. I remember watching 3 Dog Night as a kid and how much the music and their performance always moved me. I got to share the stage with him and his wonderful band playing all those wonderful songs together.”
Since 2007 Berry has been living in Sarasota Florida, playing with numbers or wonderful bands and musicians building his chops and learning along the way. Berry plays weekly in Siesta Key Florida when not on the road. He has four children, Shaun, Jessica, James, Declan & Teigan Oakley. And a wonderful wife, Diana. “Family is a wonderful thing :)”
“I love it down here. The musicians are so kind, wonderful and open to new idea’s and fun ways to play songs. The amount of talent on a weekly basis around here blows me away. I mean on any given day here in Sarasota you can find an awesome show filled with top notch musicians putting on outstanding performances and having a fun time doing it.
In 2015 Berry founded “Butch Trucks & the freight train band” with the legendary Butch Trucks of the Allman brothers band. “Butch wanted to go back to 1969 style of jamming and get out and play since ABB was no longer so He & I got together and did a bunch of shows, just the two of use, with different guitar players and keyboard players. We got our 1st line up at Roots Rock Revival camp 2015 ( Music Masters camps ). The original line up was Butch & I, Bruce Kats and Vaylor Trucks. Later we added Heather Gillis & Tad Ich. And we finally found our band when we added Garret Dawson on percussion and Damon Fowler on Lead. I miss Butch dearly and know we would have done some great things but the wonderful memories of the 2 years we toured I will always hold dearly.”
Berry is also a member of (Roots Rock Revival) camp. A yearly camp high in the Catskills mountains with Luther & Cody Dickenson, Oteil Burbridge and many top musicians that give classes all week and jam every night.
Berry’s Solo band “Berry Oakley’s Indigenous Suspects” is a blend of Florida players who have all been in a major touring project and live in Florida. They take music to a new experimental place, changing keys & tempos with lots of improve and some original music mixed in.