43-609: The Boxmasters is an American rock band founded in Bellflower, California , in 2007 by actor Billy Bob Thornton and Grammy Award-winning recording engineer J.D. Andrew. The group released their 17th album Love & Hate In Desperate Places in August of 2024 and finished multiple other records, that are still waiting to see the light of day. Before he formed the Boxmasters, frontman Thornton had played in bands since middle school, worked as
86-600: A roadie , recorded in 1974 in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and in the 2000s released four solo albums. After listening to " Yesterday's Gone " by Chad & Jeremy and thinking about covering it in a hillbilly music style , he had the idea of making Americanized version of British Invasion pop songs . From mid-2008 to late 2008, the group embarked on a tour across the United States, ending in Los Angeles . It also played for
129-553: A division of Live Nation Entertainment since July 2006, and there are 11 locations throughout the United States as of 2024. The first House of Blues opened on November 26, 1992, in the Harvard Square commercial district and retail area of Cambridge , Massachusetts, as a live music concert hall and restaurant. The company was financed by Dan Aykroyd , Aerosmith , Paul Shaffer , River Phoenix , Jim Belushi , and Harvard University , among others. This location closed in 2003 as
172-820: A fixed-route local bus. Most of Bellflower is within the Bellflower Unified School District . Some of Bellflower is in the Downey Unified School District and some of it is in the Paramount Unified School District . BUSD has two secondary schools in Bellflower: Bellflower High School and Somerset High School . St. John Bosco High School , and Valley Christian Elementary both privately run, are also in Bellflower. The Clifton M. Brakensiek Library
215-456: A mostly positive review, calling it "for real" and stating that "Thornton’s distinct voice continues to be a nice fit with the material". Entertainment Weekly criticized it as "unmemorable". The group has covered The Beatles , The Who , The Rolling Stones , The Turtles , and Mott the Hoople in its unique style. It also plays original songs, mostly written or co-written by Thornton based on
258-843: A movie star, it happened accidentally. [...] Music is what I love." Before his acting career started, he played in cover bands of Creedence Clearwater Revival , ZZ Top , and also worked as a roadie with Nitty Gritty Dirt Band , Johnny Paycheck , Blood, Sweat & Tears , the Statler Brothers , and other bands during high school. He also released a record with a band called 'Hot Lanta' in 1974. During his acting career, Thornton released four solo albums from 2001 to 2007. Thornton brought in sound engineer J. D. Andrew to help with his 2007 album Beautiful Door . After jamming together, they started to record some of their material. Andrew had known Mike Butler "for six or seven years" and called on him to play guitar for them. According to Andrew, after
301-537: A six-city tour of Texas in March 2009, which included a March 18 appearance at the South by Southwest music conference. The band released Modbilly on Vanguard on April 21, 2009. Houston Press praised the album, saying that it "confirms that Billy Bob Thornton's writing talents aren't confined to his Oscar -winning screenplays ." Allmusic stated that it "goes on far too long, never changing, never peaking". Prefix gave
344-455: A total area of 6.2 square miles (16 km ). 6.1 square miles (16 km ) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km ) of it (0.86%) is water. Bellflower is bordered by Downey on the north and northwest, Norwalk and Cerritos on the east, Lakewood on the south, Long Beach on the southwest, and Paramount on the west. Bellflower is part of Southeast Los Angeles County and the "Gateway Cities Council of Governments" (GCOG). At
387-546: Is a branch of the County of Los Angeles Public Library . House of Blues House of Blues is an American chain of live music concert halls and restaurants. It was founded by Isaac Tigrett , the co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe , and Dan Aykroyd , co-star of the 1980 film The Blues Brothers . The first location opened at Harvard Square in Cambridge , Massachusetts on November 26, 1992 (Thanksgiving Day). The chain has been
430-517: Is a city located in southeast Los Angeles County , California , in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. It was founded in 1906 and incorporated on September 3, 1957. As of the 2020 census , the city had a total population of 79,190, up from 76,616 at the 2010 census . This made it the 65th most densely populated city in the United States , of cities over 50,000 residents (and the 8th most densely populated city in California). The original title to
473-479: Is an urban community within greater Southeast Los Angeles, and ranks amongst the most densely populated cities in the United States . It is a sister city with Los Mochis , Sinaloa , Mexico. Bellflower is located at 33°53′17″N 118°07′39″W / 33.888165°N 118.127604°W / 33.888165; -118.127604 . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has
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#1733085132785516-414: Is derived from the bellflower apple , which was grown in local orchards during the early 1900s. Originally settled by dairy farmers of Dutch, Japanese, and Portuguese descent, Bellflower and neighboring Paramount served first as the apple and later the milk production centers for Southern California, until soaring post- World War II property values forced most of the farmers to move several miles east to
559-655: Is located at 9835 Flower Street. Los Cerritos Community News serves the city. The Artesia Freeway (State Route 91) passes east–west through the southern portion of Bellflower, the San Gabriel River Freeway (Interstate 605) runs north–south just east of the city, and the Century Freeway (Interstate 105) runs east–west just north of the city. Bellflower is served by bus service from Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and Long Beach Transit . The city also operates Bellflower Bus ,
602-620: Is one of the only cities in the US to boast multiple Dutch grocery stores. After Bellflower was incorporated in 1957, its gradual metamorphosis from agricultural center to residential suburb continued. From the 1950s through the late 1960s, Bellflower Boulevard, the city's main thoroughfare, was a thriving commercial strip for shopping. Numerous retail and franchise restaurant firms began on this street, which also featured middle- and high-end boutiques, arts and crafts shops, and other small shopkeeps alongside larger department stores and banks. Today, Bellflower
645-739: Is represented by Robert Garcia ( D – Long Beach ). Fire protection in Bellflower is provided by the Los Angeles County Fire Department from stations 23 and 98. Ambulance transport is provided by Care Ambulance Service . The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department operates the Lakewood Station in Lakewood , serving Bellflower. In addition the sheriff's department operates the Bellflower Substation in Bellflower. The United States Postal Service Bellflower Post Office
688-676: Is satirized in the Detective Crashmore sketch in Season 2, Episode 3 of I Think You Should Leave . Ghomeshi, in introducing the band, mentioned the acting credentials of Thornton, but never based his questions to Thornton about his show business career. Thornton went on to say that Canadian audiences were generally reserved and that the band was used to playing in places where people move around and throw things at each other. He then added, "it's like mashed potatoes with no gravy ." This caused an outpouring of criticism from across Canada and around
731-518: The 2010 census Bellflower had a population of 76,616. The population density was 12,416.7 inhabitants per square mile (4,794.1/km ). The racial makeup of Bellflower was 32,337 (42.2%) White (19.5% Non-Hispanic White), 10,760 (14.0%) African American, 731 (1.0%) Native American, 8,865 (11.6%) Asian, 615 (0.8%) Pacific Islander, 19,732 (25.8%) from other races, and 3,576 (4.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 40,085 persons (52.3%). The census reported that 75,877 people (99.0% of
774-643: The House of Blues in Los Angeles . The band released their second album, Christmas Cheer , on November 11, 2008, also through Vanguard Records . Allmusic gave another critical review, calling the music "an acquired taste". USA Today music critic Brian Mansfield named it one of his favorite holiday albums. The Boxmasters went on a post-album 12-city tour with Willie Nelson , playing from November 22 in Enid, Oklahoma , to December 6 in Champaign, Illinois . They then embarked on
817-460: The flu . Willie Nelson's publicist had no comment. The band resumed touring in Stamford, Connecticut , on April 14. In the aftermath of the controversy, Thornton appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and he said, "The fact that was news was astounding to me... But it gave humpbacked geeks all over the world something to do for a couple of days." He added that he only wants to be perceived as a musician in
860-453: The " white trash " figures he had seen in his Arkansas childhood . The Montreal Gazette has called his original material "at turns dark and funny, with world-class hooks". The members play while wearing well-dressed ' Mod ' outfits such as tailored black suits , white shirts, and narrow black neckties . Aside from playing, Thornton has said that he plans on creating comic books based on him and other band members. Plots would involve
903-503: The Bellflower area dates back to 1784 with one of the first Spanish land grants in California. The Bellflower area was a hunting and fishing spot due to an abundance of wild game, ducks and geese, carp and perch. The area was also used for cattle and grazing dairy cows but settlers moved away. Willow, bamboo, and underbrush, wild grape, blackberry, and rose bushes were grown along the river the name of The Willows and The Wilderness. The site
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#1733085132785946-495: The Dairy Valley/Dairyland/Dairy City area (now the cities of Cerritos , La Palma , and Cypress ). These farms were in turn converted into large housing subdivisions for Los Angeles's growing population that worked in the region's skilled industrial and service sectors. As a result, amongst the highly diverse backgrounds in Bellflower, there remains today a notable number of residents of Dutch descent; Bellflower
989-403: The March 2009 South by Southwest conference. After opening several tours for Willie Nelson in 2009 & 2010, The Boxmasters ceased touring for five years, which they used to write multiple albums and emerged with a more natural sound, as opposed to their early hillbilly leanings. Billy Bob Thornton —credited on the band's material as W. R. Thornton—has said that "[he] never intended to become
1032-487: The ace 'Masters — who play the Grand Ole Opry on August 18th — mixing country noir with bright jangle pop. One disc is all Americana gothic, while the other is Nuggets by way of Liverpool. "Always Lie," from the twangy half of the project, is Thornton devilishly sharing his trick for dealing with the press and ranks with some of country's most honest songwriting. (Or does it?)" Bellflower, California Bellflower
1075-476: The album, and the paper remarked that listeners will get their money's worth if they enjoy the music even half as much as the band did during the recordings. The group resumed touring in July 2008, adding musicians Bradley Davis on mandolin , guitar , and vocals , Teddy Andreadis on harmonica and organ , and Mike Bruce on drums . Their tour across the United States ended on September 7, 2008, when they played at
1118-411: The band coming to the aid of townspeople as they tour. He said, "We're not sure what our superpowers are going to be yet". In April 2009, the band was scheduled to tour across Canada, opening for country music veterans Willie Nelson and Ray Price . On April 8, the band appeared on the national CBC Radio One program Q , hosted by Jian Ghomeshi . During the first half of the interview, Thornton
1161-635: The band played several live shows in the California area, as well as in Tecate, Mexico . Their first album, The Boxmasters , was released on June 10, 2008, by Vanguard Records . It received a mostly poor review from Allmusic , which stated that "The Boxmasters might work live because there will be visuals; but merely as a listening exercise, it's best taken in small doses so the novelty doesn't wear off." The review also alleged that "Thornton can't drum to save his life, and he can't sing". The Washington Post praised
1204-497: The city was $ 15,982 and was below the "poverty rate". About 12.8% of per capita family households and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line , including 20.7% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over. Mexican and German were the most common ancestries. Mexico and the Philippines were the most common foreign places of birth in 2000. According to the city's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report,
1247-694: The company sought a larger Boston venue. However, the hands-in-concrete driveway where members of the Blues Brothers and others left their mark, remains. Aykroyd is still associated with the brand and attends most openings, performing as one half of The Blues Brothers. In 1993 House of Blues launched a 501(c)(3) non-profit called International House of Blues Foundation which provided arts programs, resources and musical instruments for youths. The Music Forward Foundation continues to provide services for youth and has generated more than $ 20 million of support for these programs over its 20+ year existence. Also in 1993,
1290-489: The context of the band, remarking that "I'm just in their band, I'm just one of those guys". In 2010, The Boxmasters ceased touring for almost five years. During that time Billy Bob Thornton wrote & directed the feature film Jayne Mansfield's Car . In 2015 the Boxmasters returned with the album Somewhere Down The Road released by 101 Ranch Records. Rolling Stone said "This sprawling double album, which amazingly doesn't feel Use Your Illusion bloated, finds him and
1333-404: The occupied units 9,459 (40.0%) were owner-occupied and 14,192 (60.0%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.1%. 31,897 people (41.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 43,980 people (57.4%) lived in rental housing units. According to the 2010 United States Census, Bellflower had a median household income of $ 49,637, with 17.1% of
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1376-564: The population living below the federal poverty line. At the 2000 census there were 72,878 people in 23,367 households, including 17,128 families, in the city. The population density was 11,999.5 inhabitants per square mile (4,633.0/km ). There were 24,247 housing units at an average density of 3,992.3 per square mile (1,541.4/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 22.37% White American , 33.09% Black or African American, 0.92% Native American, 9.69% Asian, 0.70% Pacific Islander, 24.38% from other races, and 5.13% from two or more races. 43.23% of
1419-408: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 23,367 households 43.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples living together, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 21.1% of households were one person and 7.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.09 and the average family size
1462-629: The population) lived in households, 399 (0.5%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 340 (0.4%) were institutionalized. There were 23,651 households, 11,029 (46.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 10,992 (46.5%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 4,812 (20.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,965 (8.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,666 (7.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships , and 170 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships . 4,618 households (19.5%) were one person and 1,540 (6.5%) had someone living alone who
1505-538: The radio host. Local reviews of Thornton's Toronto performance were not positive. Toronto Star called Thornton's voice a "high, tinny whine" and The Globe and Mail commented that "Nelson could teach Billy Bob Thornton more than a few things". On April 10, The Boxmasters dropped out of the tour early, announcing that they would not be playing with Nelson during subsequent concerts scheduled in London, Ontario , and Montreal . Thornton said that band members had come down with
1548-445: The syndicated program The House of Blues Radio Hour launched in partnership with CBS Radio Hour. The show is hosted by Aykroyd, in character as Elwood Blues, and focuses on the history of blues music and the contemporary artists honoring the art form. Its final episode aired in July 2017. In 1999, House of Blues acquired Universal Concerts from Seagram . On July 5, 2006, Live Nation acquired House of Blues Entertainment and created
1591-619: The top employers in the city are: In the California State Legislature , Bellflower is in the 32nd Senate District , represented by Republican Kelly Seyarto . In the California State Assembly , it is in the 58th Assembly District , represented by Republican Leticia Castillo . In the United States House of Representatives , Bellflower is mostly covered by the 42nd congressional district which
1634-541: The trio played together, they said "Shoot, this sounds like a band." The three came up with the name "Boxmasters" after a piece of Southern slang , which they later described by saying "remember the bad boy in high school who got all the girls and left a trail of broken hearts ... and more?" Thornton had also briefly played in country star Porter Wagoner 's similarly titled band 'The Wagonmasters', which he later said had brought chills down his spine. The band started in Bellflower, California , in 2007. During its early days,
1677-459: The world for the star's behavior. The following night, the band opened for Willie Nelson at Toronto 's prestigious Massey Hall . A series of boos and catcalls erupted mid-set, with people in the audience yelling "here comes the gravy!" when Thornton tried to explain he liked Canadians but not the CBC radio host. Before the show, when asked about his "gravy" comment, Thornton claimed he was talking about
1720-421: Was "surly and uncooperative", and responded with "I don't know" when asked how long the band had been together. When asked about his musical tastes and influences as a child, he gave his longest answer, but it was about his favorite magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland . He also stated that he had "instructed" the show's producers to not ask any questions about his career as a screenwriter and actor. The interview
1763-460: Was 3.59. The age distribution was 31.9% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 17.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% 65 or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males. The median household income was $ 39,362 and the median family income was $ 42,822. Males had a median income of $ 32,658 versus $ 28,012 for females. The per capita income for
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1806-592: Was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.21. There were 17,769 families (75.1% of households); the average family size was 3.67. The age distribution was 21,749 people (28.4%) under the age of 18, 8,493 people (11.1%) aged 18 to 24, 22,418 people (29.3%) aged 25 to 44, 17,339 people (22.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 6,617 people (8.6%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 31.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males. There were 24,897 housing units at an average density of 4,034.9 per square mile, of
1849-540: Was formerly rich farmland watered by artesian wells and floodwaters of the now-contained San Gabriel River . In 1906, F.E. Woodruff, a local real estate investor, founded the first municipality on the site, which was named Somerset in 1909 when a post office was established there. However, the proponents of the name 'Bellflower' claimed that the US Post Office Department rejected the name 'Somerset' to prevent confusion with Somerset, Colorado . The present name
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