Blues Birthday Spotlight
Ada Brown
Birth: May 1, 1890
Place of Birth: Kansas City, Kansas
Talents: Vocals
Genre: Blues
Bands: Fats Waller, George E. Lee, Bennie Moyen
Blues hits: 1926-“Evil Mama Blues”, “Ill Natural Blues”, ” “Break O’ Day Blues”
Death: Kansas City, Kansas, March 31, 1950
Marion Walter Jacobs
Known As: Little Walter
Birth: May 1, 1934
Place of Birth: Marksville, Lousiana
Instrument of Choice: Harmonica
Talents: Vocals, Guitar
Genre: Blues, Rhythm & Blues, Chicago Blues
Labels: Chess, Regal, Checker, TempoTone, Parkway, Ora-Nelle, Chance
Played With: Muddy Waters, Honeyboy Edwards, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Sunnyland Slim
Blues Hits: 1952-“Juke”, “Mean Old World”, 1953-“Blues with a Feeling”, 1954-“You Better Watch Yourself, “Last Night”, 1955-“My Babe”, 1958-“Key to the Highway”
Career: 1945-1968
Death: Chicago, Illinois, February 15, 1968
William Samuel McTier
Known As: Blind Willie McTell, Blind Sammie, Georgia Bill
Birth: May 5, 1898
Place of Birth: Thomson, Georgia
Instrument of Choice: Harmonica, Guitar
Talents: Vocals, Songwriter
Genre: Blues, Country Blues
Labels: Columbia, Victor, Okeh, Decca, Vocalion, Regal, Atlantic, Library of Congress
Played With: Kate McTell, Curley Weaver
Blues Hits: 1928-“Statesboro Blues”, 1929-“Come on Around in My Kitchen”, 1933-“It’s Your Time to Worry”, 1949-“You Can’t Get Stuff No More”
Career: 1927-1956
Death: Midgeville, Georgia, August 19, 1959
Amos Easton
Known As: Bumble Bee Slim
Birth: May 7, 1905
Place of Birth: Brunswick, Georgia
Instrument of Choice: Guitar
Talents: Vocals, Songwriter
Genre: Blues
Labels: Bluebird, Paramount, Decca, Vocalion
Played With: Peetie Wheatstraw, Big Bill Broonzy, Memphis Minnie, Tampa Red, Washboard Sam
Blues Hits: 1932-“B&O Blues”
Career: 1931-1968
Death: Los Angeles, California, June 8, 1968
Robert Johnson
Known As: King of the Delta Blues
Birth: May 8, 1911
Place of Birth: Hazelhurst, Mississippi
Instrument of Choice: Gibson Guitar
Talents: Vocals, Harmonica, Songwriter
Genre: Delta Blues, Blues, Country Blues
Labels: Vocalion
Blues Hits: 1936- “Cross Road Blues”, “Sweet Home Chicago,” 1937-“Hellhound on My Trail”, “All My Love in Vain”
Career: 1929-1938
Death: Greenwood, Mississippi, August 16,1938
Joe Bonamassa
Birth: May 8, 1977
Place of Birth: New York State
Instrument of Choice: Gibson Les Paul
Talents: Singer, Songwriter, Musician
Genre: Blues, Blues Rock, Hard rock, Rock & Roll
Labels: J&R Adventures
Played With: Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, Eric Clapton, Gregg Allman, Joe Cocker, Bloodline, Communion, Black Country
Blues Hits: 2000-“A New Day Yesterday”, 2003-“Blues Deluxe”, 2004-“Had to Cry Today”
Career-1989-present
Joe McCoy
Known As: Kansas Joe McCoy
Birth: May 11, 1905
Place of Birth: Raymond, Mississippi
Instrument of Choice: Guitar
Talents: Vocals, Songwriter
Genre: Delta Blues, Blues
Labels: Columbia Records
Played With: Papa Charlie McCoy, Harlem Hamfats, Memphis Minnie, The McCoy Brothers
Blues Hits: 1929- “Bumble Bee”, 1936-“Why Don’t You Do Right?”
Career: 1920-1949
Death: Chicago, Illinois, January 28,1950
Marietta Williams
Known As: Maxine Sullivan
Birth: May 13, 1911
Place of Birth: Homestead, Pennsylvania
Talents: Vocals
Genre: Blues, Jazz
Death: New York City, New York, April 7, 1987
Johnny Williams
Known As: Uncle Johnny Williams
Birth: May 15, 1906
Place of Birth: Alexandria, Louisiania
Instrument of Choice: Guitar
Talents: Guitar, Vocals
Genre: Blues
Career: 1930-1959
Death: Chicago, Illinois, March 6, 2006
Henry Saint Clair Fredericks
Known As: Taj Mahal
Birth: May 17, 1942
Place of Birth: Harlem, New York
Instrument of Choice: National Steel, Dobro
Talents: Vocals, Songwriter, Piano, Banjo, Guitar, Harmonica
Genre: Blues, World Music
Labels: Columbia Records, Gramavision, Hannibal Records, Warner Brother Records, Private Music
Bands: The Taj Mahal Trio, The Hula Blues Band, The Phantom Blues Band
Blues Hits:
Career:
Joseph Vernon Turner Jr.
Known As: Big Joe Turner, The Boss of the Blues
Birth: May 18, 1911
Place of Birth: Kansas City, Missouri
Instrument of Choice: Powerhouse Vocals
Talents: Singer, Songwriter
Genre: Blues, Swing Blues, Jump Blues, Rock & Roll Blues
Labels: Atlanta, Decca, Vocalion, National, Pablo
Bands: Count Basie Orchestra, “Rolling” Pete Johnson
Blues Hits:
Career:
Death: Inglewood, California, November 24, 1985
Monette Moore
Birth: May 19, 1902
Place of Birth: Gainesville, Texas
Genre:
Labels:
Bands: Fats Waller, Charlie Johnson, Jimmy Blythe, Bob Fuller, Jimmy O’Bryant, Elmer Snowden,
Bubber Miley, Rex Stewart, Sammy Price, Sidney Bechet, and Zinky Cohn
Blues Hits:
Career:
Death:
Mamie Robinson
Known As: Mamie Smith
Birth: May 26, 1883
Place of Birth: Cincinnati, Ohio
Talents: Singer, Dancer, Actress
Genre: Blues
Labels:
Bands:
Blues Hits:
Career:
Death: New York, New York, September 16, 1946
Charles McCoy
Known As: Papa Charlie McCoy
Birth: May 26, 1909
Place of Birth: Jackson, Mississippi
Instrument of Choice:
Talents:
Genre:
Labels:
Bands:
Blues Hits:
Career:
Death: Chicago, Illinois, July 26, 1950
Aaron Thibeaux Walker
Known As: T-Bone Walker
Birth: May 28, 1910
Place of Birth: Linden, Texas
Instrument of Choice: Gibson ES-250, Gibson ES-5, Gibson ES-335
Talents:
Genre:
Labels:
Bands:
Blues Hits:
Career:
Death: Austin, Texas, March 16, 1975
The Blues Keeper 