Junior Wells
Junior Wells (born Amos Wells Blakemore Jr.; December 9, 1934 – January 15, 1998) was an American singer, harmonica player, and recording artist. He is best known for his song “Messin’ with the Kid” and his 1965 album Hoodoo Man Blues, which critic Bill Dahl called “one of the truly classic blues albums of the 1960s.” Wells called his music rhythm and blues. He performed and recorded with many well-known blues musicians, including Muddy Waters, Earl Hooker, and Buddy Guy.
Otis Rush
Otis Rush Jr. was born on April 29, 1934, and passed away on September 29, 2018. He was an American blues guitarist and singer who wrote songs.
Magic Sam
Samuel Gene Maghett (February 14, 1937 – December 1, 1969), known as Magic Sam, was an American Chicago blues musician. He was born in Grenada County, Mississippi, and learned to play the blues by listening to records by Muddy Waters and Little Walter. After moving to Chicago at the age of 19, he was signed by Cobra Records and became well known as a bluesman after the release of his first record, “All Your Love,” in 1957.
Freddie King
Freddie King (born Fred King on September 3, 1934, and died on December 28, 1976), also known as Freddy King, was an American blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is one of the “Three Kings of the Blues Guitar,” along with Albert King and B. B.
Albert King
Albert King (born Nelson; April 25, 1923 – December 21, 1992) was an American guitarist and singer. He is often considered one of the greatest and most influential blues guitarists in history. He is best known for his popular album Born Under a Bad Sign (1967) and its title track.
Z. Z. Hill
Arzell J. “Z.Z.” Hill (September 30, 1935 – April 27, 1984) was an American blues singer most famous for his music in the 1970s and early 1980s. His 1982 album, Down Home, released by Malaco Records, remained on the Billboard soul album chart for nearly two years.
O. V. Wright
Overton Vertis Wright (October 9, 1939 – November 16, 1980) was an American singer who is often seen as a blues artist by African-American fans in the Deep South. He is also considered one of the most respected and unique artists in Southern soul. He is best known for songs such as “That’s How Strong My Love Is” (1964), “You’re Gonna Make Me Cry” (1965), “Nucleus of Soul” (1968), “A Nickel and a Nail” (1971), “I Can’t Take It” (1971), and “Ace of Spades” (1971).
Junior Parker
Herman “Junior” Parker (March 27, 1932 – November 18, 1971), also known as Little Junior Parker, was an American blues singer and harmonica player. He is best remembered for his voice, which people described as “honeyed” and “velvet-smooth.” One music journalist wrote, “For years, Junior Parker moved away from down-home harmonica blues to uptown blues-soul music.” In 2001, he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. Parker was also inducted into the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame.
Bobby Bland
Robert Calvin Bland, born Robert Calvin Brooks on January 27, 1930, and who passed away on June 23, 2013, was professionally known as Bobby “Blue” Bland. He was an American blues singer who combined gospel music with blues and rhythm and blues (R&B) styles. He was described as one of the great storytellers in blues and soul music, creating powerful songs about love, betrayal, and giving up, set against loud and emotional music arrangements.
Little Milton
James Milton Campbell Jr. (September 7, 1934 – August 4, 2005), known as Little Milton, was an American blues singer and guitarist. He is most famous for his number-one R&B song “We’re Gonna Make It.” Other popular songs he recorded include “Baby, I Love You,” “Who’s Cheating Who?,” and “Grits Ain’t Groceries (All Around The World).” Born in the Mississippi Delta, Milton started recording music in 1953 at Sun Records.