Blues

Barry Goldberg (1942–2025), blues keyboardist

Barry Goldberg was a blues and rock keyboardist and producer who played with a long list of music icons, including Bob Dylan, Stephen Stills, Steve Miller, and many others.

Barbara Dane (1927–2024), folk singer and activist

Barbara Dane was a folk, blues, and jazz singer who spent her career fighting for peace and justice through the power of song.

Nick Gravenites (1938–2024), bluesman who wrote for Janis Joplin

Nick Gravenites was a blues singer and guitarist who sang with the Electric Flag and wrote music for . 

Tito Jackson (1953–2024), Jackson 5 singer and guitarist

Tito Jackson was a singer and guitarist best known for being part of the hit-making group The Jackson 5, who enjoyed four No. 1 hits and launched the career of pop icon . 

John Mayall (1933–2024), godfather of British blues

John Mayall was a British blues guitarist and bandleader who helped launch the careers of legends like Eric Clapton, , and Mick Taylor.

Jewel Brown (1937–2024), Houston jazz legend

Jewel Brown was a Houston jazz legend who for years performed with the band of jazz icon Louis Armstrong.

John Koerner (1938–2024), blues guitarist who mentored Bob Dylan

“Spider” John Koerner was a blues guitarist, singer and songwriter who enjoyed a six-decade career and ably mentored a young Bob Dylan.

Phil Wiggins (1954–2024), iconic blues harmonica master

Phil Wiggins was a master of the blues harmonica known for his long musical partnership with guitarist/vocalist .

Donald Kinsey (1953–2024), guitarist for the Kinsey Report, Wailers

Donald Kinsey co-founded the blues group the Kinsey Report alongside his family members, and he played guitar with such artists as Bob Marley and the Wailers.

Mike Henderson (1953–2023), co-founder of the SteelDrivers 

Mike Henderson was a Grammy Award-winning country singer-songwriter who co-founded the SteelDrivers and frequently collaborated with country superstar Chris Stapleton, Henderson’s former SteelDrivers bandmate. 

Freddie Roulette (1939–2022), blues lap steel guitarist

Freddie Roulette was a blues musician known for his unusual use of the Hawaiian lap steel guitar.

Walter “Wolfman” Washington (1943–2022), popular New Orleans musician 

Walter “Wolfman” Washington was a guitarist and singer who led the popular New Orleans bar band the Roadmasters.

Danny Kalb (1942–2022), acclaimed blues guitarist   

Danny Kalb was a guitarist and vocalist who was an original member of the influential blues band the Blues Project.   

Mable John (1930–2022), first woman signed to Motown Records

Mable John was a blues singer who became the first woman solo artist signed to Motown Records.

Shonka Dukureh (1977–2022), “Elvis” actress and blues singer 

Shonka Dukureh was a blues singer and actress who appeared as Big Mama Thornton in the recent Baz Luhrmann movie “Elvis.” 

Kelly Joe Phelps (1959–2022), acclaimed slide guitar player  

Kelly Joe Phelps was a celebrated slide guitarist and singer-songwriter who played blues, country blues, folk, and Americana music.

Guitar Shorty (1934–2022), legendary blues guitarist influenced Jimi Hendrix  

Guitar Shorty was a legendary blues guitarist who influenced Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Guy.

Syl Johnson (1936–2022), frequently sampled soul and blues musician

Syl Johnson was a soul and blues singer and guitarist known for songs including “Different Strokes,” “Is it Because I’m Black,” and “Take Me to the River.”

Jimmy Johnson (1928–2022), legendary Chicago blues guitarist

Jimmy Johnson was a legendary Chicago blues and soul guitarist who played with B.B. King, Magic Sam, and Otis Clay.0

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

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

Carol Fran (1933–2021), Louisiana blues singer and pianist

Carol Fran was a Louisiana blues singer and pianist known for singles including “Emmitt Lee” and “The Great Pretender.”

Ellen McIlwaine (1945–2021), blues singer and guitarist

Ellen McIlwaine was a singer and slide guitarist known for her bluesy rock music.

Grady Gaines (1934–2021), Little Richard’s saxophone player

Grady Gaines was a blues saxophone player best known for playing in band.

Sterling Magee (1936–2020), one half of blues duo Satan & Adam

Sterling Magee was an acclaimed blues guitarist and musician who was part of the popular blues duo known as Satan & Adam.

Salome Bey (1933–2020), Canada's first lady of the blues

Salome Bey was Canada's first lady of the blues, a popular performer in Toronto who was made an honorary member of the Order of Canada.

Peter Green (1946–2020), cofounder of Fleetwood Mac

Peter Green was an influential guitarist who was one of the cofounders of Fleetwood Mac.

Big Al Carson (1953–2020), legendary New Orleans blues singer

Big Al Carson was a renowned blues singer who was a fixture of the New Orleans music scene.

Who Influenced the Rolling Stones?

The Rolling Stones have reached their 70s yet they keep touring in front of sold out crowds around the world. Moving past the days of all night parties fueled by drugs and drink, the band members keep themselves in shape for the long rocking sets they perform live. When the band started out, they could have been called a Chicago Blues tribute band. Brian Jones (1942 - 1969), Mick Jagger, and Keith Richards were greatly influenced by the electric blues musicians from Chicago. Music from blues legends like Muddy Waters and Jimmy Rogers were intertwined with the young British band's music. Brian Jones named the band after the Muddy Waters song "Rollin' Stone." Many of the Stones' early songs were blues covers. Keith Richards said, "When we started the Rolling Stones, we were just little kids, right? We felt we had some of the licks down, but our aim was to turn other people on to Muddy Waters." The Stones were also influenced by non-blues musicians such as Buddy Holly and James Brown and mixed them with the blues to make some of the best rock records of all time in the 1960s and 1970s. On what would have been Brian Jones' 75th birthday, we take a look at blues artists who have influenced the Rolling Stones.

Beverly “Guitar” Watkins (1939–2019), unsung blues guitar legend

Beverly “Guitar” Watkins was an unsung blues guitar legend known for her attacking playing style. She was said to play like Jimi Hendrix (playing behind her head) and Pete Townsend, and influenced many musicians including John Lennon. Though she started playing the guitar at a young age and played with and , she achieved greater recognition much later. After some down years in music, she was working various odd jobs, until she became a regular on Atlanta’s blues scene in the 1980s. The Music Maker Relief Foundation set her up on tour with in 1998 and released her first album at the age of 60. She continued playing live until she suffered a stroke in July2019.

Larry Taylor (1942–2019), Canned Heat bassist

Performed at Woodstock and recorded with the Monkees and Tom Waits.

Jerry Lawson (1944–2019), lead singer for the Persuasions

Jerry Lawson was the lead singer of the a cappella group the Persuasions. Lawson and his bandmates revived the a cappella style as young men singing their favorite songs together in their neighborhood, applying the style to songs from diverse genres including R&B, pop, gospel, blues, and more. They continued singing together for decades, recording more than two dozen albums and influencing later groups including Boyz II Men and Take 6. Lawson later left the Persuasions and joined another group they had influenced, Talk of the Town. With Talk of the Town, Lawson appeared on NBC’s “The Sing-Off” in 2011. Lawson released his only solo album, “Just a Mortal Man,” in 2015.

Dr. John (1941–2019), New Orleans music legend

Legendary New Orleans musician Dr. John won 6 Grammys and was a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Tony Joe White (1943–2018), “Polk Salad Annie” songwriter

The “swamp rock” musician had songs recorded by Elvis Presley and Tina Turner.

Otis Rush (1934–2018), Chicago blues guitar legend

Otis Rush was a legendary Chicago blues guitarist known for his fluid jazz-influenced style which came to be known in Chicago as the West Side blues sound. He was a major influence on many guitarists including Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, and Carlos Santana.

Matt “Guitar” Murphy (1929–2018), Blues Brothers guitarist

Matt “Guitar” Murphy, blues sideman who played with the Blues Brothers and legends like Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf, died Friday, June 15, 2018, according to multiple news sources. He was 88.

Eddy Clearwater (1935–2018), Chicago bluesman known as “The Chief”

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago bluesman Eddy Clearwater, lauded for his guitar playing and flamboyant showmanship, has died of heart failure.

Denise LaSalle (1939–2018), legendary singer was called the “Queen of the Blues”

Known for her hit song “Trapped by a Thing Called Love”…

Muhal Richard Abrams (1930–2017), influential free jazz pianist

Muhal Richard Abrams, influential free jazz pianist who co-founded the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, has died at the age of 87, according to .

Lonnie Brooks (1933–2017), Sweet Home Chicago bluesman

Lonnie Brooks, a Louisiana-born blues musician well-known for his version of the song "Sweet Home Chicago," died Saturday, April 1, 2017, according to multiple news sources. He was 83.

Chuck Berry (1926–2017), the Father of Rock and Roll

Chuck Berry, the singer-songwriter and guitarist who was one of the architects of rock 'n' roll, died Saturday, March 18, 2017. He was 90.

James Cotton (1935–2017), blues harmonica player

Grammy Award-winning blues harmonica player James Cotton, aka Mr. Superharp, backed some of the greatest blues artists of his time.

Mose Allison (1927–2016), jazz and blues pianist

Mose Allison was a legendary blues and jazz pianist.

Phil Chess (1921–2016), Chess Records co-founder

Phil Chess, who co-founded the legendary Chess Records label, died Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016, in Arizona, according to multiple news sources. He was 95.

Ruby Wilson (1948 - 2016), singer known as the Queen of Beale Street

Ruby Wilson, the singer known as the Queen of Beale Street, died Aug. 12, 2016, according to multiple news sources. She was 68.

Lonnie Mack (1941–2016), influential blues guitarist

Blues guitarist and singer Lonnie Mackinfluenced many of rock's greatest players, from Eric Clapton to Stevie Ray Vaughan.

L.C. Ulmer (1928 - 2016)

L.C. Ulmer, a Mississippi musician who appeared in a documentary film about the birthplace of the blues, has died, according to multiple news sources. He was 87. Ulmer, whom relatives found unconscious at his home in Ellisville, Mississippi, died Sunday of natural causes, though the Jones County medical examiner told the Hattiesburg American that the death remains under investigation.

Otis Clay (1942 - 2016), Blues Hall of Famer

Otis Clay, a soul singer and member of the Blues Hall of Fame, has died of a heart attack, according to The Associated Press. He was 73.

Long John Hunter (1931 - 2016), blues guitarist

Legendary blues guitarist Long John Hunter, who recorded seven solo albums over the course of a six-decadecareer, has died in Arizona. He was 84.

Allen Toussaint (1938–2015), new Orleans musician and songwriter

Legendary New Orleans musician, songwriter and producer.