Magic-Slim-Obituary

Magic Slim

Obituary

Magic Slim, a younger contemporary of blues greats Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf who helped shape the sound of Chicago's electric blues, died Thursday. He was 75.

He died shortly after midnight Thursday at a Philadelphia hospital, said his manager, Marty Salzman. The musician had health problems that worsened while he was on tour several weeks ago in Pennsylvania, Salzman said.

Magic Slim and his backing band, the Teardrops, performed a no-holds-barred brand of Chicago-style electric blues, led by his singing and guitar playing, and were regulars on the music festival circuit.

Slim's given name was Morris Holt. The Mississippi native established himself in Chicago's thriving blues community in the 1960s, but more recently lived in Lincoln, Neb.

Holt's story was one of persistence. Like many bluesmen from rural Mississippi, he left a life that revolved around cotton fields and moved to Chicago in 1955. But competition on the South Side was fierce in those days, and he moved back home after failing to establish himself.

Playing plantation parties and small gigs, he honed his skills to a fine edge and enlisted his brothers, Nick and Douglas, as his backing band. They returned to Chicago, where they formed the Teardrops and refused to be dismissed.

Younger than many of the renowned bluesmen in Chicago, he maintained a career well into the 21st century. Holt and the Teardrops won blues band of the year at the 2003 Blues Music Award, and he released a record of covers last year.

"If you were going to take somebody who'd never seen blues to one of their shows, it would be like putting them in a time machine and putting them in 1962," Salzman said. "No frills, no rock 'n' roll. It was just straight-ahead, real-deal blues."

Holt came by the sound authentically. Born in Torrance, Miss., in 1937, he grew up in the cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta. His first love was piano, but he lost the little finger on his right hand to a cotton gin and switched to guitar. Like many of his contemporaries, he started out on a one-string instrument he made by nailing a piece of wire stolen from a broom to the wall.

He moved to Grenada at age 11 and met Magic Sam, an older guitarist and influential blues figure. Sam taught him about the instrument and gave him his first job as a bass player years later when he first moved to Chicago.

He didn't make his first recordings until 1966. He released his first album, "Born Under A Bad Sign," on a French label in 1977 and put out an album of original songs and covers, "Bad Boy," last year.

Salzman said that bleeding ulcers sent Holt to the hospital, but that he also suffered from heart, lung and kidney ailments.

MARK SCOLFORO,Associated Press


Copyright © 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Guest Book

Not sure what to say?

I am sitting here in Tucson, Arizona listening to my beloved blues hero, Magic Slim! I never had the honor of seeing him live in person, but I have been addicted to the magic of his blues music for many years, as I am now 82 myself. If you have never heard the real deal, and the straight ahead no B.S. blues music of Sir Morris Holt, then you have never heard the blues. It has been 11 years since Magic Slim passed, but he continues to grow in global legendary popularity as a master of the Blues!

The first time we met him was in our city Dijon (France) at the yearly Blues Festival. Since this date, he came back several times. You'll miss us Mr Magic Slim, but your music is still alive.

I am so saddened and sorry to hear of the loss of this wonderfully talented bluesman. I enjoyed hearing him many times here in Lincoln, and I know the good Lord God Jehovah has a place in heaven for Magic Slim.
Jeff "Boogie" Schultz

I am so sorry for the loss that your family has had. It is a hard thing to lose someone you love so dearly, but i hope you all will allow the hope that the bible provides to give you some comfort during this time. Rom. 15:4

I first heard Slim at Biddy Milligan's on North Sheridan Road in Chicago. I was hooked!! That was 1978. I have had a total connection with his music ever since. Absolutely Glorious!

He was the greatest in my book of blues legends!I will miss seeing his great shows and having a glass of JD with him! Rest in peace!