C. B. Hudson

C. B. Hudson (born 8 October 1974) is an American rock guitarist and singer best known as the former lead guitarist of alternative rock band Blue October. He is also a co-owner of Austin, Texas-based recording studio named Orb Recording Studios.

C. B. Hudson was born on October 8, 1974, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and raised in Dallas, Texas. 

Hudson was musically inclined from an early age; MTV was his favorite TV show and rock and metal were his favorite types of music. Growing up, he was influenced by such famous rock/metal guitarists as Steve Vai, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Satriani, and Eric Johnson. Later, with time, he grew interested in jazz and added jazz guitarists Norman Brown and George Benson to the list of his influences.

He received his first electric guitar on his tenth birthday. Once he got the guitar, he took four years of lessons and practiced obsessively whenever he could. He attended Lake Highlands High school in Dallas, Texas, where he performed in the school's jazz band, and also attended a six-week summer program at Berklee College of Music, Boston, Massachusetts.

After finishing high school, Hudson studied psychology with a business minor at Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1999. He then returned to the university to pursue an MBA degree with a focus in finance, though he later dropped out owing to the commitments with Blue October. 

In October 2000, while having lunch at Kismet Cafe in San Marcos, Hudson happened to meet Justin Furstenfeld, the lead singer of Blue October, who was looking for a guitarist for his band. Hudson sent him a demo tape, auditioned, and was hired as the lead guitarist for the band. Hudson's first concert with Blue October was on December 9, 2000, at Lion's Pavilion in San Marcos, Texas. At the end of the Fall 2000 semester, Hudson dropped out of the grad school with nine hours remaining on his degree and joined Blue October's Consent to Treatmenttour. (Consent to Treatment was the band's second album released in 2000. Hudson was a part of the tour only, not the studio recording.)

Blue October's first studio album with Hudson was their third album, History for Sale, recorded in 2003. The album was voted best album in the 2003 Houston Press Music Awards. One of its tracks, "Come in Closer," features guest vocals by Zayra Alvarez, who later, on the CBS reality show Rockstar: Supernova sang the song "Razorblade" on her final episode before being voted off. 

In 2006, they released their fourth album Foiled. Hudson wrote the music for one of its popular tracks titled "18th Floor Balcony." He also used his jazz influence during live performances of "Everlasting Friend" which features a jazz guitar solo to close the song. The album was certified Gold in the US on August 9, 2006, and on February 22, 2007, was certified Platinum. The album achieved platinum status in Canada as well.

At the end of the Approaching Normal tour, for their fifth album, Hudson announced he was leaving the band to focus on raising a family and pursuing his dream of owning a recording studio. Hudson was subsequently replaced by former Canvas guitarist Julian Mandrake who had previously been a touring guitarist for Blue October in 2006.

Hudson continues to write and record jazz-influenced instrumental solo material under his publishing name "Reflxblue." He and Matt Noveskey (Blue October bassist) also operate an Austin, Texas-based recording studio named Orb Recording Studios, since March 2014. The studio's acoustics were designed by Acoustic Spaces owner and chief designer Mark Genfan, who in the past had designed Robert Rodriguez's Troublemaker Studios. 

In 2013, Hudson reunited with Blue October for a three-show run in Texas. The band also tweeted photos from the studio recording sessions for their album Sway(2013) which pictured Hudson playing guitar. In April 2013, Blue October announced that Hudson had officially rejoined the band. Hudson performed with the band for the entire Sway tour from 2013 through 2015 and also recorded the band's eighth studio album Home (2016). However, around the same time, Hudson suffered a collarbone injury from an off-road motorcycle accident and had to take a leave from the band. In the interim, Matthew Ostrander filled in on lead guitar in 2016 for the Home tour. 

On April 13, 2016, it was confirmed that Hudson would not be returning to Blue October. The band's current line-up is: Justin Furstenfeld (vocals, guitar), Ryan Delahoussaye (mandolin, piano, backing vocals), Jeremy Furstenfeld (drums, percussion), Matt Noveskey (bass guitar), and Will Knaak (lead guitar.)

Hudson married former Houston Texans' cheerleader and choreographer, Elizabeth "Betsy" Rhett Young, in Austin, Texas, on January 16, 2010. The couple has a daughter, Ella James Hudson (born on August 30, 2012.)