1987 Fankhauser founded the Checkerboard Blues Band. 50 concerts throughout Switzerland

1988 75 concerts in Switzerland, Germany, and Italy. Radio airplay with the first tape "Hey, Bartender!"

1989 First album "Blues for the Lady" with guest star Margie Evans. The L.A. based Blues lady and former Johnny Otis Show vocalist Evans joins the band to promote the CD, and works with them at the Amsterdam Blues Festival, San Remo Blues Festival Italy, Berlin Jazz Festival, among many others.

1990 "Blues for the Lady" hits the charts at CHUO FM Ottawa and KCSB Radio in Santa Barbara, and countless other stations in Europe and Japan. Extensive touring with Margie Evans throughout Europe.

1991 The second album "...with a feeling!" without Margie Evans adds many concerts to the busy schedule of the Checkerboard Blues Band. Only in 1991 the band plays over 150 gigs in all of Europe. Some of the concerts include Texas Twister Johnny "Clyde" Copeland.

1992 The third album "Dedicated" establishes the band as "the best and tightest Blues band on this (European) side of the Atlantic Ocean". (Blueprint Magazine, London). The band works with Katie Webster, Luther Allison, Johnny Adams and Louisiana Red.

1993 The seventh and last year of the "Swiss" Checkerboard Blues Band. A three day sold out concert series are recorded live and appear as the band's fourth CD, "Thun - San Francisco".


TO THE YEARS 1994 - 2000