8 Ball Aitken is the redneck preacher at the shotgun wedding between country and blues. It doesn’t matter which part of the family you’re from -- what does matter is the funky foot-stomping hullaballoo at the all-night party afterwards. Hailing from Far North Queensland, he grew up as a teenager in a run-down tobacco shed, making a living picking tropical fruits by day and picking guitars by night. 8 Ball’s first break came when he was hired to play nightly at the infamous Johno’s Blues Bar in Cairns.

Since the release of his first album 'Behind The 8 Ball' in 2003, 8 Ball Aitken has toured to date across every state and territory of Australia. He has also built a strong international profile, having played festival and club shows throughout Europe, USA, Canada & Japan. Highlights include gigs at the Americana Festival in Nashville, The Folk Alliance in Memphis, Canadian Music Week in Toronto and many others. He's toured in Japan four times, where he headlined the popular Rokko Sun Music Festival. He has also performed extensively in Germany, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway and the UK.

8 Ball Aitken is authentic -- a real-deal character who rattles the roof, stomps the planks, and gets his audiences whooping and hollering along in a frenzy of pure exuberance. He started work as a farm labourer aged fifteen, doing back-breakingly hard work on the mango and banana plantations of the Atherton Tablelands, a man's work for a boy's pay. A life-changing conversation with an Aboriginal elder, who told him he should pursue a career in music, convinced 8 Ball to pack his bags, grab his guitar, and leave the farm to meet his destiny.

8 Ball's third album 'Rebel With A Cause' had several award wins including a Southern Star Award and two Q Song Awards (for 'Outback Booty Call' & 'Yellow Moon'). His singles 'Cyclone Country' & 'Hands On Top Of The Wheel' have both been top 10 country hits around Australia. 'Cyclone Country' earned 8 Ball his first Golden Guitar award nomination while single 'Cowboy Movie' was a finalist in the APRA Blues & Roots Song of The Year Awards.

What the critics say...

"There is a gentleman named 8 Ball Aitken who hails from Far North Queensland who is making some of the most bona fide sounding country, blues and rock around at the moment. With 3 CD's under his belt (since 2004) and a non-stop worldwide touring schedule, 8 Ball is making a name for himself in Nashville and Tamworth and all points in between. " - Paul Busch, Tom Magazine

"Yellow Moon is a fantastic tune - classic blues riff with an awesome voice to top it off... It's no wonder this dude is going so well around the world, and this song's picking up awards! Whoo! " - Sarah Howells, Triple J

"The fire-haired lad from far North Queensland shredded his way through one scorcher of a set last night. With a voice reminiscent of John Fogerty and guitar playing prowess that would put many to shame, 8 Ball more than left his mark." - Matt Lawrence, Blacktown Sun

"A very good hard-hitting album... country rock and Aussie blues / swamp music. " - Charlie Sparrow, Blue's Country Magazine