‘Part introspective pop/rock singer/songwriter, part bluesy soul man and classic rocker--but ALL heart, seamlessly alternating between guitar and piano, woven together with his powerful voice'
Over the past two decades, Freddie Long has cultivated local musical roots into an act recognized throughout the eastern US and beyond. The singer/songwriter that calls Frederick County, MD home has garnered numerous music awards, opened for many major national acts, had music licensed and aired internationally, and secured corporate promotional partnerships, all in addition to recording three full albums of original material and playing thousands of shows up and down the eastern half of the US.
The story began as such: Fresh out of Lebanon Valley College and looking to continue his career in music with a larger live arrangement, songwriter/performer Freddie Long began to audition musicians for a full band, finding some of the most talented players in his area. Long and the other members had found something special--they were already gigging at popular clubs and festivals and receiving many positive responses within the first few weeks of playing together.
Long has been turning heads and ears ever since, charming listeners with his catchy and introspective original music along with putting his stamp on a vast array of cover selections. Along his busy touring schedule, Long has performed on commercial TV and radio and has shared stages with many popular regional and national acts including Motley Crue, Poison, Hootie and the Blowfish, Bad Company, Jo Dee Messina, Edwin McCain, Blue Oyster Cult, Orleans, Jimmie‘s Chicken Shack, Shooter Jennings, Blind Melon, Pat McGee, Mark Bryan (of Hootie and the Blowfish), Scott Ambush (of Grammy-nominated group Spyro Gyra), and many others. His band's 2007 debut independent album, entitled ‘Strangers and Friends,' has been praised by critics and fans alike and has received positive reviews in both print and online industry publications. The album won Indie-Music.com's Top 25 releases of 2007 award, as well as Indie-Music.com's Top 25 MP3s of 2007 award for the song 'Blanket'. In addition, ‘Blanket' has been featured on Six Flags Radio and The Freddie Long Band was also nominated for three 2007 Washington Area Music Awards (Wammies).
In August 2009, Long and the band released a second full band album, 'Shotgun With The Devil,' an anticipated 17-track collection of new material. The new album features soulful influences and expanded arrangements, and found the band performing shows with a new lineup including a full horn section to showcase a captivatingly bigger sound. Tracks from both 'Strangers and Friends' and 'Shotgun With The Devil' were also selected for inclusion into the Golden Tee 2010 golfing arcade game, and the group received two more Wammie nominations in 2009. In addition, The Freddie Long Band was given the great honor of recording the theme song for the Frederick Keys minor league baseball team, a class A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, in 2010. Following that, Long also sung the national anthem for the NBA Washington Wizards standing center court at Washington, DC's famed Verizon Center arena.
In 2011, Long released an acoustic album recorded at Rough Edges Studio in Nashville, TN with FLB guitarist Christopher Bell. Long and Bell were no strangers to the Nashville scene, having performed at many Music City writer's nights and venues, including the Hard Rock Cafe and the legendary Bluebird Café. The acoustic album, appropriately titled ‘Nashville,' features intimate and engaging acoustic tracks and was released in April 2011.
In the fall of 2011, Long relocated to Nashville to write, perform, and work on collaborations with several Music City artists and musicians. After a productive year in Music City, Long returned to the East Coast to work on new material and resume a packed touring schedule, which has included a several residencies at the famed Ocean City, MD nightclub Seacrets, one of the top grossing nightclubs in the USA. In the last several years, Long has also written, recorded, and performed several popular jingles for commercial radio, and has had his music licensed and played internationally including significant airtime on networks across Spain, Italy, and Sweden.
In 2015, The Freddie Long Band celebrated its 10-year anniversary--no small feat for any act in the music industry. The following year, Long composed and recorded music for the Maryland Ensemble Theater's production of 'There's No Place Like Home: Life Without The Ruby Slippers,' a much-talked about show addressing homelessness and featuring performers who had experienced homelessness themselves. Long's contribution to the production included the show's main musical theme as well as other recorded compositions, and the show went on to have several sold out runs.
Currently, Long maintains a packed schedule and continues to perform upwards of 250 times a year, engaging and winning over audiences throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.