Jam Master Extraordinaire

Graceland legend GREG SUTHERLAND ’73 was inducted into the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame April 7, 2019.

Sutherland came to Graceland from Riverview, Michigan, in 1969. Once here, he played bass with the local band Zini for eight years, then in several bands based in Des Moines, Iowa. In 1994, Sutherland participated in the first Iowa Blues Challenge as a member of the Heaters. He then joined Fat Tuesday and the Greasefire Horns in 1999, and the band won the 2000 Iowa Blues Challenge and traveled to Memphis to compete in the National Blues Challenge.

Since then, Sutherland has continued to perform with Fat Tuesday, opening shows for many of the biggest names in blues. He also works as a sound and lighting engineer for Fat Tuesday Productions and hosts the Fat Tuesday Jam at Carl’s Place in Des Moines every Tuesday night.

Sutherland began working for Graceland College in 1977 and held several positions. He returned to “the Hill” last year after retiring in 2016 to serve as Interim Director of Facility Services; however, earlier this summer, he passed on his role in Facility Services one final time to serve as Owner’s Representative for the Newcom Student Union renovation project.