As a lifelong sailor, songwriter/musician, Kevin “Brother Shucker” Brooks brings a rich musical and on-stage heritage to the Oyster Boys having performed earlier in his career as a bassist/vocalist with top regional and international folk artists as well as several successful Mid Atlantic musical groups.
During Kevin’s 30 plus year career in music he has shared the stage with such musical legends as the Limelighters, Schooner Fare, the legendary Chet Atkins, international rebel Irish folk icon’s The Wolfe Tones, the one and only jazz guitar master Charlie Byrd along with numerous regional, national, and international folk, maritime and Irish musical talents. Most recently Kevin and the Oyster Boys were honored to be featured artists with the renown Annapolis Symphony and Londontowne Symphony Orchestras at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in their homeport of Annapolis, Maryland.
The Eastport Oyster Boys are proud to have been proclaimed as The Official Musical Goodwill Ambassadors of the City of Annapolis since 1998.
His songwriting and lively stage presence exemplifies his passion for all things Chesapeake including penning such EOB standards as “Good Hat,”
“Good Dog,” “Good Boat,” “Downy Ocean’ Hon,” “Hannah’s Waltz,” “This Too Shall Pass,” “Reef Down Day,” and several newly to be released songs for
the Oyster Boys. His songs have been recorded and are regularly performed by artists in Europe and the across the US.
Having co-produced multiple recording projects for the Oyster Boys, his nonprofit executive experience has also contributed to the development of several recording and live events benefiting such worthy projects such as the Annapolis Maritime Museum, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, ShoreRivers and the Point Wilson (WA) and Thomas Point Shoal (MD) Lighthouses.
Over his musical career he has performed in esteemed venues such as Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, Avalon Theater, The Kennedy Center, Pier 6, Ashford Castle (Ireland), Viljandi Folk Festival (Estonia), Kinsale Jazz Festival (Ireland), Royal Farms Arena (Baltimore), the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival (Wash DC) and countless regional and international maritime music festivals.
Kevin also has a boatload of on-air media experience having cohosted the Chesapeake Bay travelogue “Seize the Bay” for Maryland Public Television and has been featured on ARD (German Public TV), CBC, BBC and other national and international television/film projects. Over the more than 25 years of performing and celebrating life on their home waters the Oyster Boys have frequently been featured in regional and national print media including Chesapeake Bay Magazine, Soundings, Good Old Boat, Yachting, Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, New York Times to name a few. Recently he hosted and narrated “Eastport 21403, The Movie” celebrating the 20th anniversary of the birth of the breakaway Maritime Republic of Eastport (MRE) which was recently featured on Maryland Public TV, YouTube, the Annapolis Film Festival, Chincoteague Film Festival, cable television and more.
When not performing with the boys, he may be found “gunkholing” around the waters of the Chesapeake and beyond with his wife Jan on their beloved Cape Dory Cutter “The Pearl of Eastport”. Yup, she’s a Good Boat!