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Sam Lay (1935–2022), legendary Chicago blues drummer

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Sam Lay was a legendary Chicago blues drummer who played with Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band.

Blues Legend

Sam Lay started drumming for the Original Thunderbirds and then became the drummer for blues harmonica legend Little Walter. He was the regular drummer for Chicago Blues icon Muddy Waters band in the early 1960s. He performed and recorded with many blues legends including Willie Dixon, Bo Diddley, and John Lee Hooker and was an original member of the influential Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Bob Dylan used Lay as a drummer when he famously plugged in his electric guitar instead of playing acoustic at the 1966 Newport Folk Festival. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015 as a member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band.

Tributes to Sam Lay

Full Obituary: Chicago Sun Times

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