Gatemouth Brown’s instrumental prowess was on full display on his 1954 classic “Okie Dokie Stomp.” Brown’s nonstop guitar masterpiece was recorded with hot backing by the Pluma Davis Orchestra in Houston in May 1954. Bandleader-trombonist [...]
Vee-Jay Records first recorded “I Ain’t Got You” by its star, Jimmy Reed, in July 1955, but Billy Boy Arnold recalled in his autobiography that writer-producer Calvin Carter wanted a “swingin’, upbeat” version—which Billy Boy [...]
Here’s the Man!!!, Bobby Bland’s second full LP on the Houston-based Duke label, was loaded with the kind of first-rate blues and R&B that made Bland such an idol in his time. In common with [...]
In Blues Legacies and Black Feminism, Angela Davis, controversial activist, author, and professor widely known for her revolutionary politics, argues against some conventional views of women and their songs in the blues. The lyrics sung [...]
Lil’ Ed and The Blues Imperials stand as a testament to the enduring power of tight-knit, infectiously cheerful blues bands. Led by singer and slide guitar maestro Lil’ Ed Williams, the group, which includes his half-brother [...]
Lurrie Bell, a prominent figure in the blues world, follows in the footsteps of his late father, harmonica maestro Carey Bell, who was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2023. Born on December [...]
Sugar Pie DeSanto packed astonishing power and plenty of personality into a tiny frame. Her spunk and vigor impressed bandleader and producer Johnny Otis enough to sign her to her first recording session in 1955 after [...]
Scrapper Blackwell, born Francis Hillman Blackwell, left an indelible mark on the blues scene as a virtuoso guitarist and collaborator with Blues Hall of Famer Leroy Carr. Though widely recognized for his role in the [...]
O.V. Wright, recognized for his powerful fusion of blues, soul, and gospel, brought unparalleled emotion-drenched intensity to his music. Born Overton Vertis Wright on October 9, 1939, in Lenow, Tennessee, near Memphis, he began his [...]
Jimmy Rushing, affectionately known as “Mr. Five By Five” due to his stout stature, was a groundbreaking figure in the world of blues and jazz. Born on June 15 or August 26, 1899 (though he [...]