New Bedford Musician Quinn Sullivan Gets Surprise Invite From Carlos Santana

Over the weekend, New Bedford native and musician Quinn Sullivan got the surprise of a lifetime from the legendary Carlos Santana.

In an unexpected turn of events, Sullivan found himself performing on stage with Santana at the House of Blues in Las Vegas.

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The Start of a Unique Friendship

Sullivan and Santana originally crossed paths in 2017 at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.

“I was part of a documentary about me and Buddy Guy called The Torch and (Santana) was being interviewed for that, so I got in touch with someone that was a mutual friend of Carlos, and I got the chance to go backstage (at Mohegan) and meet him,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan walked into his dressing room, and it was as if they had been friends for years.

“He handed me one of his guitars to, kind of, test me out,” he said. “I played him some stuff and he said, ‘OK, you can come on stage and play with me.’ He brought me into his world for an hour-and-a-half. He played me music I never heard before. ... He really likes to take people into his vortex.”

What Happened in Vegas

Sullivan had no idea he was going to spend Saturday night on stage with Carlos Santana. He was in Vegas to celebrate his dad’s 60^th birthday and planned on attending Santana’s show as a fan.

“(Santana’s) assistant reached out and said he wanted me to play and asked me to come to soundcheck,” Sullivan said. “It was amazing. I couldn’t believe it.”

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Sullivan and Santana rocked the House of Blues together, playing classic Santana songs and even brand-new songs that Santana wrote that day.

“Santana is an in-the-moment kind of guy. Whatever he’s feeling at that moment in time, he’ll just do it," Sullivan said.

Sullivan grew up listening to Santana, a legend who was a big influence on Sullivan’s decision to pick up the guitar and never put it down.

Quinn Sullivan’s Upcoming Tour

Find out for yourself what Santana sees in this SouthCoast artist, who first got a taste of fame when he appeared on The Ellen Degeneres Show at age 6.

Sullivan hits the road for his spring tour, kicking off a string of dates in Natick on Feb. 25.

 

 

 

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