- List of Chicago blues musicians
Chicago blues is a form ofblues music that developed inChicago, Illinois in the 1950s by taking the basic acoustic guitar andharmonica -basedDelta blues and adding electrically amplified guitar, amplifiedbass guitar , drums,piano , and sometimessaxophone , and making the harmonica louder with a microphone and aninstrument amplifier . The best-known Chicago blues musicians include singer/songwriters and bandleaders such asMuddy Waters ,Howlin' Wolf , andWillie Dixon ; guitar players such asFreddie King andBuddy Guy ; and "harp" (blues slang forharmonica ) players such asLittle Walter andCharlie Musselwhite . In the 1960s and subsequent decades, the Chicago blues style and sound spread around the US and the UK (e.g. theClimax Blues Band ) and beyond.Notable Chicago blues musicians include:
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Alberta Adams *
Luther Allison - (August 17 ,1939 –August 12 ,1997 ) Born inWidener, Arkansas and then moving toChicago as a teen, Allison was a major force on theChicago blues scene. Predominantly an electricguitarist and also a singer, Allison released many albums for theAlligator Records label based in Chicago.*
Kokomo Arnold - (February 15 ,1901 –November 8 ,1968 )Slide guitarist and vocalist Arnold was born inLovejoy's Station, Georgia and began his career performing inNew York . During the latter half of the 1920s he moved toChicago and began performingChicago blues , though he stopped recording for good in 1938 because he was not making a livable wage performing. His first recording was forDecca Records . Many compilation albums have been released in the years since, such as those fromDocument Records .B
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Big Three Trio - This group formed inChicago, Illinois in 1946 with membersWillie Dixon ,Bernardo Dennis andLeonard "Baby Doo" Caston . After only a year together Dennis left the band and was replaced byOllie Crawford . The band performed acoustic and electricChicago blues as well asjump blues . They disbanded in 1952. They worked for labels likeOkeh Records andColumbia Records .*
Carey Bell - (November 14 ,1936 –May 6 ,2007 ) Born inMacon, Mississippi as Carey Bell Harrington, Carey is an acoustic and electricharmonica blues andChicago blues multi-instrumentalist, performing onbass guitar ,guitar , drums andharmonica and vocals. He has released several albums for labels likeAlligator Records andDelmark Records .*
Lurrie Bell - BornDecember 13 ,1958 inChicago, Illinois ,guitarist andvocalist Bell is the son ofblues harp playerCarey Bell . Like his father, he is aChicago blues musician who performs on electric guitar. He has recorded numerous albums, most of which have been forDelmark Records .*
Scrapper Blackwell - (February 21 ,1903 –October 27 ,1962 ) Born inSyracuse, North Carolina as Francis Hillman Blackwell, Scrapper Blackwell performed acousticPiedmont blues and was an early exponent ofChicago blues who worked closely withpianist Leroy Carr . He also backed singerBlack Bottom McPhail .Document Records has issued most of his work in three volumes.*
Blind Blake - (c. 1895–1937) Born inJacksonville, Florida ,guitarist and singer Blind Blake played almost every form of music imaginable. He performed earlyragtime on guitar,Piedmont blues ,country blues ,Delta blues andChicago blues . A musician of great importance, he recorded frequently forParamount Records .*
Mike Bloomfield *
Eddie Boyd - (November 25 ,1914 –July 13 ,1994 ) Born inStovall, Mississippi , Boyd was apiano blues pianist ,singer/songwriter and a fixture of theChicago blues scene, touring Europe withBuddy Guy in 1965. Though he performed electric and acoustic Chicago blues, Boyd left theUnited States and lived abroad due toracial discrimination . He recorded for labels likeLove Records andDecca Records .*
Billy Branch - BornOctober 3 ,1951 inGreat Lakes, Illinois ,blues harp player and vocalist Branch is aharmonica blues performer who plays electricChicago blues . He leads his own band, "The Sons of Blues" and has released several albums for labels likeEvidence Records andAlligator Records , to name a few.*
Grace Brim - Born c. 1924, Grace Brim wasChicago blues drummer for her husbandJohn Brim (electricguitarist , singer andharmonica player) from the 1940s on through to the 1970s. She can be heard on some of hisChess Records and his earlyFortune Records recordings.*
John Brim - (April 10 ,1922 –October 1 ,2003 ) Born inHopkinsville, Kentucky , Brim was an acoustic and electricChicago blues guitarist ,harmonica player and singer who performed regularly with his wife Grace on drums. He recorded forFortune Records andChess Records among others.*
Big Bill Broonzy - "Big Bill" was born William Lee Conley Broonzy inScott County, Mississippi onJune 26 ,1893 or1898 (the exact year is unclear). Broonzy was an acousticcountry blues musician who performedChicago blues , playingguitar andmandolin accompanied by his own singing. Broonzy recorded over 350 compositions over his career.*
J.T. Brown - (April 2 ,1918 –November 24 ,1969 ) Born inMississippi , Brown was an electric and acousticChicago blues tenor saxophonist and singer. He performed with musicians likeWashboard Sam andEddie Boyd , and backed other artists likeElmore James .*George "Wild Child" Butler - Born
October 1 ,1936 inHernando, Mississippi , he is an electricguitarist ,blues harp player and vocalist performingChicago blues . He recorded in the 60s and 70s forMercury Records . In the 1980s he moved toCanada and continued recording and performing, his last album being forAPO Records in 2001.*
Paul Butterfield - (December 17 ,1942 –May 4 ,1987 ) Born inChicago, Illinois , Butterfield was an amplifiedharmonica blues blues harp player,guitarist ,vocalist andflautist who performedblues-rock andChicago blues . He recorded for a variety of labels during his career, includingBearsville Records andElektra Records .C
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Eddie C. Campbell - BornMay 6 ,1939 inDuncan, Mississippi and moving toChicago at age ten,electric blues guitarist and singer Campbell playsChicago blues . The lists of blues musicians he has performed with includesHowlin' Wolf andLuther Allison . His debut album was for the oldMr. Blues Records label, and in years since he has record for others likeBlind Pig Records andJSP Records , to name a few.*Joe Carter - Born
November 6 ,1927 inMidland, Georgia and moving to Chicago in his thirties, Carter was aslide guitarist who performedblues-rock ,harmonica blues and electricChicago blues . His first band was popular on the local scene and featuredblues harp playerLester Davenport and fellow guitaristSmokey Smothers . He only recorded in the 1970s and 1980s, when he developed throat cancer and was forced to quit. His records were done for theBarrelhouse Records andJSP Records label.*Leonard "Baby Doo" Caston - Born in
Sumrall, Mississippi , Caston was arhythm and blues pianist and a member of theChicago blues bandBig Three Trio , along withWillie Dixon andOllie Crawford . He recorded for labels likeOkeh Records andColumbia Records with the group. After theBig Three Trio broke up, he began to performsoul music andurban contemporary gospel as anorganist .*William Clarke - (
March 29 ,1951 –November 2 ,1996 ) Born inInglewood, California ,harmonica blues player and singer William Clarke was an electricChicago blues musician. He performed for a variety of labels, such asAlligator Records ,Watch Dog Records andRivera Records , to name a few.*Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater - Born
January 10 ,1935 inMacon, Mississippi , Clearwater moved toChicago at the age of fifteen. He is a modern electricrhythm and blues andChicago blues guitarist and singer, and has recorded numerous solo albums forRounder Records ,Delmark Records , and many other labels.*
Climax Blues Band - Formed in 1968 and based inStafford, England , this band performsblues-rock in theChicago blues vein. In their later years, they have also ventured into the arena ofsoft rock ,roots rock andpop rock . The band has released numerous albums for labels likeSire Records andWarner Bros. Records , among others.*
James Cotton - BornJuly 1 ,1935 inTunica, Mississippi , James Cotton is aharmonica blues player and singer who got his start performing theDelta blues , later moving toChicago and performingChicago blues . Performing both in acoustic and electric settings, Cotton has recorded dozens of albums for labels likeAlligator Records andVerve . He also leads his ownJames Cotton Blues Band .*Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup - (
August 24 ,1905 –March 28 ,1974 ) Born inForest, Mississippi , Crudup was aguitarist and singer that began his career performingDelta blues . He later moved to Chicago, where he continued performing Delta blues and alsoChicago blues , both in acoustic and electric environments. It was not until the blues revival of the 1960s that Crudup received widespread appreciation from audiences, performing until his death.D
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Lester Davenport - BornJanuary 16 ,1932 inTchula, Mississippi and moving toChicago, Illinois in 1945, Davenport is an eclectricChicago blues harmonica player andvocalist . He is also sometimes called "Mad Dog" Davenport. He recorded his first album in 1991 forEarwig Records , and then in 2002 released "I Smell a Rat" forDelmark Records .*
Jimmy Dawkins - BornOctober 24 ,1936 inTchula, Mississippi and moving toChicago, Illinois in 1955, Dawkins is aguitarist andvocalist and a fixture of the modern electricChicago blues scene. His first album was "Fast Fingers" recorded in 1969 forDelmark Records , for whom he recorded several others. He has also worked for theEarwig Records label, among others.*
Bo Diddley - (December 30 ,1928 –June 2 ,2008 ) Born inMcComb, Mississippi , Bo Diddley was aguitarist andvocalist who performed electricChicago blues ,rock and roll andrhythm and blues . He had a very long career that began in the 1950s. He recorded well over twenty albums for labels likeChecker Records ,Chess Records andAtlantic Records , among others.*
Willie Dixon - (July 1 ,1915 –January 29 ,1992 ) Born inVicksburg, Mississippi ,double-bassist ,singer/songwriter ,record producer andguitarist Dixon was a key figure on the acoutsic and electricChicago blues scene. He was heavily involved in helping start the careers of artists likeBo Diddley andMuddy Waters , to name only a few. He recorded for numerous labels. He also performedjump blues and would sometimes sang Jive.*
Champion Jack Dupree -F
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Steve Freund
*The Four Aces G
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Lacy Gibson
*Jazz Gillum *
Buddy Guy - BornJuly 30 ,1936 inLettsworth, Louisiana , Buddy Guy is one of the most recognizable artists from theChicago blues scene. Both an acoustic and electricguitarist , Guy is also an accomplished singer. He has recorded countless albums for labels likeChess Records ,Vanguard Records andSilvertone Records .*
Phil Guy H
*The Harlem Hamfats - Formed in 1936 by musicians that were not even from
Harlem, New York led by trumpeterHerb Morand , the group performed mostlyChicago blues andEast Coast blues while backingjazz musicians. The members wereKansas Joe McCoy ,Charlie McCoy , Odell Rand, John Lindsay, Horace Malcolm, Pearlis Williams and Freddie Flynn. The group's inclusion in thedirty blues genre is due to such songs as "Gimme Some of that Yum Yum" and "Lets Get Drunk and Truck".*
Big Walter Horton - (April 6 ,1917 –December 8 ,1981 ) Born inHorn Lake, Mississippi and also known as Shakey Walter Horton, Horton was one of the better-knownharmonica players of his day. He played the gambit, includingMemphis blues ,Chicago blues ,juke joint blues andharmonica blues . He performed both acoustic as well as amplified harmonica, and was also a singer.
*Howlin' Wolf
*J.B. Hutto J
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James Cotton Blues Band *
Elmore James - (January 27 ,1918 –May 24 ,1963 ) Born inRichland, Mississippi , James was aslide guitarist on acoustic and electric guitars and also a singer. He performed bothDelta blues andChicago blues , though he is most well known for the latter. His technique influenced a generation of guitarists that followed.*
Jimmy Johnson (blues guitarist) (b. 1928)*Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson - Born
April 11 ,1939 is aChicago blues electric guitarist who is better known for his long stints working withMuddy Waters in the 1970s. In 1980 he began doing solo work, though his debut album was released in 1976 forEvidence Records . He has also recorded forTelarc andBullseye Blues .*
L.V. Johnson
*Syl Johnson
*Little Johnny Jones (pianist) K
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Big Daddy Kinsey
*Donald Kinsey
*Cub Koda L
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Johnny Laws
*Little Charlie & the Nightcats
*John Littlejohn
*Robert Lockwood, Jr.
*J. B. Lenoir M
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Willie Mabon
*Big Maceo Merriweather
*Magic Sam
*Ron Martinez
*Mellow Fellows
*Rice Miller
*Lee Montgomery
*Little Brother Montgomery
*Aaron Moore
*Nick Moss
*Matt "Guitar" Murphy
*Charlie Musselwhite N
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Robert Nighthawk P
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Dion Payton
*Morris Pejoe
*Pinetop Perkins *
Brewer Phillips - BornNovember 16 ,1924 inCoila, Mississippi , Phillips was aChicago blues andjuke joint blues guitarist and singer active from the 1970s to the 1990s. He performed on both acoustic and electric guitar, and recorded forDelmark Records andJSP Records .*
Snooky Pryor R
*Alex "Easy Baby" Randle
*A.C. Reed
*Jimmy Reed
*Tampa Red *
Fenton Robinson - (September 23 ,1935 –November 25 ,1997 ) Born inMinter City, Mississippi , Robinson performed everything fromsoul-blues andTexas blues to what he is most remembered for, theChicago blues . He was discovered byBobby "Blue" Bland , who soon got him recording forDuke Records . A guitarist and singer, Robinson played both acoustic and electric guitar. He appeared on "Texas Flood" byLarry Davis (blues musician) in 1958. In the 60s he moved toChicago , where he later recorded extensively for the famousAlligator Records label.*
Rockin' Johnny Burgin *
Jimmy Rogers
*Otis Rush *
Ken Saydak
*Son Seals
*Eddie Shaw
*Johnny Shines
*Sunnyland Slim *Barkin' Bill Smith - Born in
Mississippi , Smith has lived inDetroit andSt. Louis before he moved to his current home inChicago . Smith is aChicago blues singer who does solo work and also has sang forelectric blues bands likeDave Specter & the Bluebirds . He received his name fromHomesick James Williamson in the 1950s, but did not record his own album until 1991 forDelmark Records withDave Specter and then a followup release in 1994 titled "Gotcha!".*
Byther Smith
*Otis Smokey Smothers
*Otis Spann
*Dave Specter
*Arbee Stidham
*Studebaker John
*Sugar Blue
*Hubert Sumlin T
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Eddie Taylor
*Hound Dog Taylor
*Koko Taylor W
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Little Walter
*Washboard Sam *
Muddy Waters - (April 4 ,1915 –April 30 ,1983 ) Born inRolling Fork, Mississippi as McKinley Morganfield, slide guitarist Waters began his career playing theDelta blues . However, he is most known as aChicago blues musician.
*Junior Wells
*Golden "Big" Wheeler
*Homesick James Williamson
*Sonny Boy Williamson Y
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Jimmy Yancy
*Johnny Young (Chicago blues)
*Mighty Joe Young *
Zora Young - BornJanuary 21 ,1948 inWest Point, Mississippi , Zora Young is a forebearer of theChicago blues scene, asoul-blues andGospel blues singer who has toured Europe several times and has released many albums for labels likeDelmark Records ,Deluge Records andBlack Lightning Records .Further reading
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