Eric Tessmer (born August 19, 1981) is an American blues guitarist residing in Austin, Texas. The Austin Chronicle named Tessmer the best guitarist in the city for 2017–2018, based on their annual poll. Tessmer was born on August 19, 1981. His father, a guitar player, named him Eric James Tessmer in honor of Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. Tessmer grew up in Wisconsin, and moved to Austin at age 19 to pursue a career in guitar. He was too young to get into nightclubs and unable to afford an apartment, so he sang in gospel choirs and lived in his rehearsal space. In 2005, the Eric Tessmer Band released its first EP, “Last Night at Joe’s…”, but in 2008 the Eric Tessmer band broke up and, despite frequent touring and the release of the album Roots Rock Rhythm in 2010, Tessmer did not achieve wider recognition. In 2015, Tessmer quit drinking and began releasing EPs, some of which contain songs with themes centered on sobriety. In 2018, Tessmer was the top choice in the annual Austin Chronicle poll for the Austin Music Awards, and was named the best guitarist in Austin. In 2019, Tessmer began working with Nancy Wilson from the band Heart.
