Matt Hogan circa 1983
(photo courtesy Chico News & Review)

Hogan's vision was to create a group that would pay tribute to and complement the great American music forms of the '40s, '50s, and '60s, including Memphis rockabilly, Chicago blues, and the great urban jump blues and hillbilly bands of the south.

Throughout the '80s, the band served as a proving ground for Northern California musicians, many who went on to found their own groups. The Diamonds' lineup has included members such as pianist Rags Tuttle, of the wildly popular San Jose rockabilly band The Kingpins, and acoustic bassist Todd Clark, who went on to found the successful '40s swing band Blue Plate Special, now based in Hollywood.

 
Hogan on the bar, Chico, CA 1996
(photo by Steve Rubenstein)

The Incredible Diamonds lineup in 1997 (l-r) Matt Hogan, Bryan Schepps, Charles Mohnike
(photo by Valerie Crosse)

The band continues to tour in its native Chico and surrounding California, delivering high-energy shows that retain the band's trademark sound--one that has changed little in its 20 years of existence.

The Diamonds are legendary in their area for roof-raising shows that appeal to a variety of audiences, including rockabillies, blues fans, and the general public.

Hogan's vocal and guitar styles come from a blend of influences that includes some of the greatest players in American music. He favors the raw guitar tone of blues players like Johnny "Guitar" Watson and Otis Rush, and his playing reflects his respect for the greats of rockabilly, including Gene Vincent guitarist Cliff Gallup, Elvis' Scotty Moore, and even the great Billy Zoom of seminal L.A. punk band X.

A natural showman, Hogan's on-stage performance is as full of fire as his guitar. Vocally he draws from proto-rockers like Buddy Holly, Johnny Burnette, and Gene Vincent, and he has a touch with a ballad not unlike Richie Valens or little-known '60s soul crooner Arthur Alexander. Hogan plays a variety of vintage instruments including a '56 Gretsch Electromatic, a classic '50s Danelectro, and a '56 Gibson Les Paul.