Jimmy Witherspoon
Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas. His father worked as a railroad worker and sang in local choirs, while his mother played the piano. Witherspoon’s grandson, Ahkello Witherspoon, is a cornerback for the Los Angeles Rams.
Big Joe Turner
Joseph Vernon “Big Joe” Turner Jr. (May 18, 1911 – November 24, 1985) was an American blues singer from Kansas City, Missouri. Turner became most famous for his rock and roll songs in the 1950s, especially “Shake, Rattle and Roll.” His career as a performer began in the 1920s and continued until the 1980s.
David “Honeyboy” Edwards
David “Honeyboy” Edwards was an American delta blues guitarist and singer from Mississippi. He was born on June 28, 1915, and died on August 29, 2011.
Johnny Shines
Shines was born in Frayser, Tennessee, which is now part of Memphis. His mother taught him to play the guitar, and he spent much of his childhood in Memphis, playing slide guitar at an early age in small music venues and on the streets. In 1932, he moved to Hughes, Arkansas, and worked on farms for three years, putting his music career on hold.
Otis Spann
Otis Spann (born March 21, 1924, or possibly 1930; died April 24, 1970) was an American blues musician. Many people believe he was the most important Chicago blues pianist after World War II.
Pinetop Perkins
Joe Willie “Pinetop” Perkins (July 7, 1913 – March 21, 2011) was an American blues pianist. He worked with many important blues and rock musicians of his time and was given many awards, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and was added to the Blues Hall of Fame.
Sunnyland Slim
Albert Luandrew, also known as Sunnyland Slim, was an American blues pianist born on September 5, 1906, and died on March 17, 1995. He was born in the Mississippi Delta and later moved to Chicago, where he helped make the city a key place for blues music after the war. Chicago broadcaster and writer Studs Terkel described Sunnyland Slim as “a living part of our folk history, carrying on the old traditions with courage and skill.”
Big Maceo Merriweather
Major “Big Maceo” Merriweather was born on March 31, 1905, and died on February 23, 1953. He was an American pianist and blues singer. During the 1940s, he worked mostly in Chicago.
Roosevelt Sykes
Roosevelt Sykes (January 31, 1906 – July 17, 1983) was an American blues musician, also known as “the Honeydripper.”
Eddie Taylor
Eddie Taylor was an American electric blues guitarist and singer. He was born on January 29, 1923, and died on December 25, 1985.