Who is Dr.BLT?
My name is Bruce. My formal name is Dr. Bruce Lee Thiessen. I also go by Bruce, or by my initials, Dr. B.L.T., and that’s what my music fans call me.
I am a singer/songwriter. I wrote tons of songs, and I write them very rapidly. I am also a licensed clinical psychologist, with years of experience in working with prison inmate/patients and parolees. I am presently practicing in a community health center in San Diego, California. I suppose you could consider me somewhat of a hybrid, or a Song Shrink, if you will.
I was born in Steinbach, Manitoba, and raised, mostly in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
I presently reside, with my wife and teenage daughter, in San Diego, California.
I have been writing storytelling country, rock and Americana songs ;and a few “shrink rap” songs since I got my first guitar for Christmas, at the age of 14.
Since then my songs have aired repeatedly on independent radio stations worldwide, and have made the news on many occasions. I was introduced to the world via my cameo on an MTV-award-nominated, top hit music video for Cake’s Short Skirt/Long Jacket.
I have been publicly praised by artists from P!nk to the late Buck Owens, who compared me to Johnny Cash. I start every morning by writing several 3-minute songs, on the spot, and in multiple genres.
I have always loved Christmas, and everything that Christmas represents.
I have two favorite Christmas memories.
My favorite Christmas was when I was 9 and I received Johnny West, the cowboy, action figure, the horses, and all of the cowboy gear. Well, almost. The gun holsters were there, but the guns were mysteriously missing. My two brothers, who also got the same action figure set, had an idea why. My mom did not like the idea of her sons owning or playing with guns—not even even tiny toy guns.
As it turns out, we had a second Christmas, in the spring, when we found the guns, in perfect condition under loads of scorched debris, in the farm yard burning barrel. Apparently, mom tried, unsuccessfully, to burn them.
My Johnny West set is mentioned, (along with a number of other toys I got for Christmas as a child) in one of the songs on Kentucky Fried Santa—-The Only Gift that Moves Me.
Music was, and always will be a big part of Christmas for me—-even a bigger part than the food and candy. I loved to listen to Christmas records as a child.
I remember listening to Little Drummer Boy on Christmas Eve, on the car radio, while my family drove through a mild snow storm, from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, to Wolf Point, Montana, where my grandparents, my Uncle and Aunt, and our cousins, lived on a large ranch. That’s when I discovered the Christmas spirit. I was greatly influenced by Christmas music as a youngster, and carry the influence with me to this day.
When my fans, or other curious onlookers, see the artwork I created for the new CD, and observe the album’s title, Kentucky Friend Santa, it is easy for them to believe that I created a new character by fusing together Colonel Sander’s the long-time legendary figure tied to the Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise, and Santa Claus, and I sort of did, but it’s a disguise of sorts, concealing the real meaning behind the art and the CD’s title.
By listening to the CD’s lead story, unveiled in the Ballad of Kentucky Fried Santa Parts I and II listeners will discover that entire core meaning. I cannot say more without being a spoiler, so I’m going to leave a mystery for your readers, and my listeners to resolve by listening to the songs, especially these two.
There are several other songs more loosely tied to the story, which are stories within the main story, or perhaps they are more like chapters if this were to be considered a short novel told through songs.
In terms of genre, I am a little bit country, and a little bit rock n roll, but I have also been influenced by both American and Canadian folk music. Johnny Cash is the man I am most compared to, but I am no Man in Black, just a Fan in Black, if I may reference a past original Dr BLT song.
his stories embedded in these original songs are set in Kentucky State Penitentiary, a maximum security prison in Eddyville, Kentucky. Built in the late 1800s, it is also known as the Castle on the Cumberland. This is due to its geography, and architecture.
I will offer one more hint. The prison that served as the setting, houses death row inmates, and has for many years. But Christmas is a season of joy, and I promise that listeners will not find the CD depressing. This does have a happy ending, at least for Santa Claus and the children that depend on him every Christmas Eve.
There are two cover songs on the CD, And I believe that, with the help of my producer, Jason Peri, I’ve made these songs my own. They are my cover of Brenda Lee’s Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, and my cover of 2000 Miles, by the Pretenders.
In Spotify, when one enters the song title, my version comes up first, before the original, by the Pretenders, and before a popular cover by Coldplay. That should prove to be a big boost.
There are a total of 14 songs on the CD, and some somewhat or altogether stray from the main story line. Some of these serve as a reminder of the reason for the season, and as a reminder of why this Christmas season has a special meaning. Cradle the New Year is the one New Year song on the CD.
The funniest and one of the most entertaining songs on the CD is Bake me a Fruitcake with a File in It.
She Got a Short Skirt and Long Jacket for Christmas brings a prison-themed double-meaning to the term “jacket” and was inspired by my cameo on Cake’s MTV-award-nominated hit music video for Short Skirt/Long Jacket.
Well, I have said enough about the CD, except I can’t say enough about my brilliant producer, Jason Peri, who has produced all five of my 2020 CDs. I am greatly indebted to his genius work. He’s a great friend too, with a clever sense of humor.
You’ll recognize Jason’s signature style in all of my CDs, as you will mine, but if you compare this Christmas CD to Trailer Park Scrooge, the one I put out last year, you will notice that both of our styles have evolved. And if you compare my Christmas-themed CDs and the non-Christmas themed ones, you’ll love them all, but you will find a special sort of magic in my Christmas CDs. That is especially true for Kentucky Fried Santa.
The CD was released on November 1, 2020 and is available on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and multiple other digital stores and streaming sites.
For more information, visit the official Dr BLT website: www.drbltmusic.com
Merry Christmas!!!
Dr BLT
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