Marquis, 46, is a rookie only to the studio, not to the road, and definitely not to the blues.

Troubled by the thought of forever being a forgettable opening act for B.B. at his Homecoming every year or the frontman of some nameless wedding reception cover band Marquis decided it was time to explore his own blues or in his words: "time to either put up or shut up"

The grueling four-day session in West Memphis, AR this June-a cheerful collection of six original and five covers - express where Marquis was spiritually and musically at the time of the recording

The artist, Billy Marquis , February 21, 2000
Just a shoutout to all the buyers of my album. Thanks!
Hello fans and friends. This is Billy Marquis. I hope everybody enjoys The Blues and Beyond. We had a great time recording the album. It was recorded at Deltasound in West Memphis. Danny Jones engineered the album and Ollie Warren mastered the C.D. (You may remember Danny. He worked with Stevie Ray Vaughn on his In Step album.) Being my first studio album, I am very pleased by the way this C.D. turned out. I knew I would be judged pretty hard by my peers and fans in the Mississippi Delta, as well as the world. I tried to put a little of something for everybody on the album. For you hard core blues fans, make no mistake about it, I can get as bluesy as needed. All the way from the front porch acoustic guitar and broom style, to the jukejoint style, to the BEYOND style of blues rock. I am very pleased to find out that I am getting airplay in a lot of different states and over seas. What about you, Deep Blues radio show in New York. What about you, Mississippi State. (BOOGIE) What about you, the world of the unknown. Feel free to e-mail me at marquis3@deltaland.net.

Thanks, Billy Marquis

Billy Marquis never learned the Blues, Billy Marquis earned the Blues. Billy still lives in the Delta because no matter where he may go, the Delta is sure to follow. The hot, steamy Mississippi Delta never lets you forget what the blues is about: Pain, Sorrow, Misery. The kind of misery that lies deep within a man's soul, his blood, and his bones, never letting him rest. The kind of blues that leads to death and destruction, or the most gut-wrenching, deep-cleansing, soul-purifying music this side fo the grave. Billy Marquis doesn't just play guitar, his guitar is as much a part of Billy as an arm or leg is to most people. The sound Billy attains from the guitar are the sounds of his soul, torn from his body, and filtered through the deep Delta soil. BAND_MEMBERS: Billy Marquis, guitar and vocals
Robert Marquis, drums
Steve Hauth, bass guitar
Jim "Fish" Michie, keyboards