Kelly "Mr. Chill" Hoppe has been a fixture on the Canadian and international music scene, starting with roots rockers, The Dougalls (1981 to 1986) and then with The Windsor Dukes (1986 to 1994). In 1994 he joined Toronto-based reggae 'n' blues rock recording act BIG SUGAR. Big Sugar released five CDs and one EP during his tenure with the band. When Big Sugar dissolved in 2004, Mr. Chill formed MR. CHILL & THE WITNESSES, and released in '06 "Mr. Chill's Cold Testament" a CD blending his passion for country, bluegrass, blues, folk, gospel and old school rock 'n' roll. Mr. Chill has been busy as a studio sideman as well. His session work can be heard on BLACK CROWES' frontman Chris Robinson's solo effort "New Earth Mud", Canadian rockers The Trews' '06 CD "Den Of Thieves" and Halifax indie songsmith JOEL PLASKETT's "07 release "Ashtray Rock". His harmonica and tenor sax playing have graced recordings such as Big Rude Jake's "Blue Pariah" 1998 CD, The Luge Sessions' "Hard End" (2000) and Windsor ON's Regael 2005 CD "Coastlines". Manitoban J.P. Lepage's "My Best Regards" (1998), Vancouver band John Ford's 2001 CD "Bullets for Dreamers", and singer-songwriter Pat Robitaille's '07 release, "Summer Of Love", plus '08 releases by Toronto's Adam Warner, "Sawdust And Sour Apples", and Collingwood ON's Aaron Garner's live CD "There And Back". Mr. Chill appears on RON LEARY'S 2010 CD, "Dependent Arising". He has performed and/or shared stages with artists such as Gov't Mule, Allman Brothers Band, Dr. John, The Rolling Stones, Melissa Etheridge, Big Rude Jake, Sugar Ray, Blues Traveler, Chris Duarte, Great Big Sea, The Tea Party, Sarah Harmer, Pinetop Perkins, Lazy Lester, Mel Brown, Wild Child Butler, Willie D. Warren, Mr. Bo, Koko Taylor, Albert Collins, Kim Wilson's Blues Explosion, Carey Bell, Sam Lay, New Earth Mud, Steve Nardella, Ron Leary, Pat Robitaille, David Gogo, Joel Plaskett Emergency, The Trews, Aaron Garner, Toronto's songwriter extraordinaire PATRICK BALLANTYNE, ITABITH? (Is There A Band In The House?, featuring former "The Tea Party" drummer Jeff Burrows), Austin Texas' blues 'n' metal purveyors GRADY, The Perpetrators, Kane Welch & Kaplan, Stan Rogers, Garnet Rogers, Blue Rodeo, Molly Johnson, The Crazy Strings, Marc Roy, Colin Linden, Paul Reddick, Twilight Hotel, Lonesome Lefty & His Cryin' Shames, The Silvertones, City Wide Vacuum, Adam Warner, The Locusts Have No King, Grand Marais, and Dean's Dragon to name more than a few. In his hometown of Windsor ON and elsewhere, Mr. Chill performs with his band, The Witnesses, and in a duo setting with Witnesses' guitarist GREG COX. He can also be heard in a trio with pianist CHRIS BORSHUK and guitarist/vocalist TOM HOGARTH. Mr. Chill performs often with the gifted, aforementioned songwriter RON LEARY. In 2010 look for Mr. Chill in a reunited BIG SUGAR, performing at festivals across Canada.
