Billy Crawford And The Lowdown

Robert McClain

Deep Pocket. Steady Hands. Real Blues.

Robert McClain is the kind of blues bass player every band hopes to find—and almost never does. Raised in Johnson City, Tennessee, Robert brings more than five decades of feel, restraint, and authority to the low end. This is bass playing built on listening, locking in, and making the song breathe.

By day, Robert spent 35 years with the City of Johnson City, beginning in water and sewer engineering and later moving into IT—careers that reward patience, precision, and reliability. Those same traits define his musicianship. Now retired, he’s fully focused on what he was always meant to do: hold down the blues.

With 52 years on bass, Robert’s influences form the backbone of modern blues and roots music: Donald “Duck” Dunn, Berry Oakley, Jack Bruce, Paul McCartney, John Paul Jones, alongside innovators like Jaco Pastorius, Stanley Clarke, Chris Squire, and Pino Palladino. The result is a player who understands when to dig in, when to lay back, and when to let silence do the talking.

Robert’s blues playing is deep-pocket, unshakeable, and intentional. He doesn’t overplay. He doesn’t rush. He makes drummers smile and guitar players relax. Whether it’s slow-burning Chicago blues, greasy Southern grooves, or high-energy blues rock, his bass lines anchor the band and elevate everyone on stage.

He has been active in local and regional music scenes since the late 1960s, with notable recent work including:

The Billy Crawford Band (2014–2021)

Samantha Gray Band (2017–2021)

Sat-ins with regional blues and roots bands (2022–2025)

Samantha Gray & Jukebox Jam (2025–present)

Offstage, Robert is a devoted family man. He has been married to his wife Sharon for 45 years and is the proud father of two daughters he loves dearly—a grounding influence that shows up in his patience, humility, and steady presence both on and off the stage.

Robert McClain is not just a bass player—he’s the foundation. The pocket stays deep. The groove stays honest. And the blues sound exactly the way they’re supposed to.

Shaun Splawn

Drummer, Singer & Songwriter | Blues-Rooted, Soul-Driven

Shaun Splawn was born into a world of music. Some of his earliest memories are set inside Texas dance halls where his father, legendary Hammond B3 player and singer Joe Splawn, earned a living night after night. By the age of four, Shaun had already witnessed greatness—seeing B.B. King live in 1992, an experience that, paired with his father’s powerful voice and musicianship, permanently set the hook.

Music was always present, but it became serious at age 13. Shaun began playing drums professionally for his father, as well as several country and regional artists, including Lanny Lee Browning (Mercury Records). Though rooted in blues, Shaun’s drumming style evolved into something broader and more personal—shaped by ’90s R&B, hip-hop, heavy metal, gospel, and contemporary worship music, creating a feel that is deep, dynamic, and unmistakably his own.

From age 13 until November 2010, Shaun played steadily before a broken wrist—and the birth of his son, Joe Paul Splawn II, in early 2011—forced a pause. During recovery, he turned to stringed instruments, expanding his musicianship and perspective. From 2011–2012, he performed with the Delta Playboys, while also experiencing a deep personal and spiritual shift that introduced him more fully to modern worship music. He sang in church choir for a year and a half, an experience that profoundly reshaped his relationship with music and purpose.

Between 2017 and 2021, Shaun focused primarily on church music as a drummer, while also contributing to the regional scene—playing bass with Bristol award-winning band Hip Gypsy (2017–2018) and drums for 7 Mile Mushroom (2019–2021). From 2021 to 2024, Shaun stepped away from the stage, dedicating himself to marriage and life with his wife, Jody.

Then came the spark.

While sitting in the Paramount Theater, watching Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Shaun felt the unmistakable pull to return. He entered a band into the Blues Society’s Battle of the Bands, calling on the best musicians he knew. The result was immediate and undeniable. The band won locally at the Smoky Mountain Blues Society Battle in Maryville, Tennessee (Bluetick Tavern), and advanced to Memphis as The Low Down Blues Band.

After years of false starts and unstable lineups, Billy Crawford And The Lowdown stands as an exclamation mark—not a comeback, but a culmination. Rooted in authenticity, forged through experience, and driven by purpose, Shaun Splawn’s journey is still unfolding—and the music has never been more honest.