The Red Devils

The Red Devils were a Los Angeles-based band who played blues-rock music. They were active during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The band members included drummer Bill Bateman (also of The Blasters), guitarist Dave Lee Bartel, bassist Johnny Ray Bartel (also of The Knitters), guitarist Paul "The Kid" Size and harmonica player Lester Butler.

The band's musical visionaries are often criticized for blasphemously blending musical styles. This was the case with Lester Butler. The Red Devils had mixed styles of American music, blues and alternative rock. Butler would also perform blues, backing luminaries Billy Boy Arnold, King Ernest and Finis Tasby.

The Red Devils, received the attention of producer Rick Rubin (the producer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mick Jagger and Tom Petty) while playing their favorite haunt, the King King. With Rubin, they released their only full-length album, King King, which was named after that haunt. Their sound attracted the likes of Mick Jagger, who took them into the studio(sans Butler), but the tracks were never used until one of them surfaced on a Jagger hits collection (that was released in 2008).

Like many bands, the Red Devils battled with drug use and Butler left the band due to this problem. He appeared on the Blackwater Roll record in 1994, however, his earlier promise had was lost because of his addiction. Butler died from his addictions at age 38.

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