Music community backs Bradley on first CD

Editor's note: The following story has been edited to correct the name of the CD and Bradley's occupation.

Cape Girardeau's local music scene has produced singer-guitarist Bill Bradley's new 10-song album, "Closer to You," which was recorded in December with other area musicians.

Bradley is an East Coast native who began making musical friends soon after his arrival 10 years ago to work as a nurse practitioner.

"I started going to the songwriter nights, and they encouraged me to practice, improve and understand songwriting," said Bradley, 48, who works at the SEMO Health Network Clinic in Portageville, Mo.

"It's fun, and it helps me unwind ... definitely a change of pace."

Set to perform solo from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday at The Barrens Winery in Perryville, Mo., Bradley said: "I wanted a full band sound, mixed and mastered high-quality, so when I'm old and gray I can look back and have that memory."

He said bassist Ken Keller produced the album at his IBS Studio 2 with Bruce Zimmerman on guitar and dobro, Scotty B. on keyboard, Don Greenwood on congas, Jimmy Brotherton and J.D. Haus on drums and Les Lindy on harmonica.

Blending folk, blues and rock, it may be downloaded at iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby and Google Play and is available at Shivelbine's Music Store. Open mic nights are staged at Port Cape Girardeau and Cup 'n' Cork.

Lindy said Bradley has made progress since they became friends. "Bill is real talented," Lindy said.

"He is developing his own sound and style and will go as far as he wants to go. You always help out musicians who ask because we're all in the same boat. I know I could call him or somebody else and they'd help me."

Bradley has played 30 to 40 gigs in the past year with a band, or solo after two of the musicians went to Tennessee and Florida.

He and his wife Erin, a law student at Southern Illinois University, have three children.

The youngest of five children, the smooth-singing baritone received degrees at Georgetown and Columbia universities and came here from New York City. His father Edwin is a retired Georgetown law professor and his mother Suzanne a former elementary schoolteacher.

Bradley, who also is a nationally ranked singles tennis player, learned music playing trumpet and performed with orchestras at the colleges he attended. Based in Paducah, Ky., his U.S. Tennis Association team won the Kentucky state championship last year.

With the title cut, his album includes "Headin' Home," "Slow Train," "Rovin,'" "Clowns Are Creepy," "That Sucks," "Gus and Pete," "My Biggest Fan," "Nothin's Better" and "Bad Chemicals," dealing with things he sees in his work as a nurse practitioner.