He rose to prominence as the singer and harmonica player of The Fabulous Thunderbirds, which formed in 1976.
He was raised in Goleta, California and performed blues music under the stage name Goleta Slim.
His popular albums include Smokin' Joint, Tigerman, Lookin' for Trouble!, and My Blues.
He married Amanda Taylor in 2009.
He appeared as a guest artist on the album Clapton, the twentieth studio album of Eric Clapton.