chicagoBLUESnews
Rest in Peace
APRIL
3
Tim Austin, 62
Longtime drummer for Buddy Guy’s band, the Damn Right Blues Band
5
Barbara Leshoure, 72
Chicago blues singer who spent her later years living in Minnesota
14
Mike Peters, age unkown
Longtime bass player for the band, Chicago Bound, which is led by harp player Scott Dirks
18
Eddie Tigner Jr., 92
Pianist, keyboardist and singer based in Atlanta who worked during his career with the Ink Spots and Elmore James
??
Mr. Hayes, age unkown
Proprietor of The Fantasy on 55th and also the Rockin’ Horse, which is now known as Odyssey East on Torrence Ave.
20
Cash McCall, 78
Singer, who recorded a new CD with his buddy Benny Turner not long before he passed
30
Phil Grande, 61
American guitarist for Stevie Ray Vaughn and Blue Oyster Cult
MAY
3
Tony Colter
SiriusXM Bluesville and Watercolors DJ
10
Paul Carey Bauhof, 62
Known professionally as Paul Carey, this Detroit-based blues and jazz guitarist co-founded the Sun Messengers and often backed Sir Mack Rice, Earl King, Hubert Sumlin, Pinetop Perkins and others
14
Grumpy Cat, 7
BLUES-ISH OK, not a blues musician, but he/she probably did know a blues song or two
16
Paul Orta, 61
Texas harp player who fronted the band, The Kingpins (aka The International Playboys)
17
Aaron “Mudbone” Turner, 60
Drummer, singer and songwriter who backed legendary artists such as B.B. King, Buddy Guy and Jr. Walker and the All-Stars
26
David Wright, 65
Hosted Dave’s Blues on WEFT Community Radio in Champaign, IL and was a board member of the Killer Blues Headstone Project
29
Tony “Little Son” Glover, 79
Influential harp player and singer based in Minneapolis and most associated with “Spider” John Koerner and Dave “Snaker” Ray
30
Leon Redbone, 69
BLUES-ISH Singer/songwriter who almost defies categorization
JUNE
6
Dr. John, 77
(aka Malcolm John Rebennack Jr.)
Do I really need to explain The Night Tripper to you?
8
Jack Renner, 84
Recording engineer, who was a co-founder of the independent record label, Telarc; nominated for 25 Grammys and won 11
8
Spencer Ward Bohren, 75
Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who wrote songs in many genres (including blues) and released 14 albums
10
Paul Alton “Lil’ Buck” Sinegal, 75
American blues guitarist and zydeco master
22
Jerry Carrigan, 75
American rock drummer for Elvis
23
David Bartholomew, 100
One of New Orleans’ greatest musicians and a pioneer in rock and roll who wrote more than 40 hits with Fats Domino in the mid-1950s
A look back at the musicians and members of the blues community who left us in 2019
MICHAEL LEDBETTER EDDIE TAYLOR JR. DR. JOHN TIM AUSTIN LARRY TAYLOR WEE WILLIE WALKER
JANUARY
13
Willie Murphy, 75
American blues and folk musician based in Minneapolis who produced Bonnie Raitt’s self-titled debut album in 1971 and recorded Running, Jumping, Standing Still in 1969 with “Spider” John Koerner
19
Ted McKenna, 68
Scottist drummer who played with Rory Gallagher and Amos Garrett and The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
21
Michael Ledbetter, 33
Powerful singer/guitarist for the Welch-Ledbetter Connection who got his big break in blues with the Nick Moss Band
26
Ron Salazar, 53
Worked for both DCASE and the Chicago Mayor’s Office of Special Events and also was a friend to the Maxwell Street Foundation
28
Quintus McCormick, 62
Detroit native who played guitar with JW Williams and the Chi-town Hustlers, in addition playing with James Cotton, Otis Clay, A.C. Reed and Lefty Dizz.
??
Jim Judy, age unknown
Harmonica player/singer who was one of the first white guys to play regularly on Maxwell St. in 1963.
FEBRUARY
2
William (Bill) Sims Jr., 69
Founded and led many blues bands in his lifetime, most notably the Heritage Blues Orchestra
5
Mike Chilardi, 68
Local Chicago drummer known as Wildman Mike who was a member of the band, Aaron Hermann and the Blues Cruisers
?
Sidney Joe Qualls, age unknown
Soul blues singer often compared to Al Green
FEB 7
Willie D. Freeman, 75
West Side soul blues singer
FEB 8
Ron Ricci, age unknown
Husband of blues singer Brenda Taylor Ricci, who is the daughter of the legendary Eddie Taylor
15
Kofi Burbridge, 57
Played flute and keyboards in the Tedeschi Trucks Band
15
Wes Mackey, 76
Guitarist/singer who backed legends such as Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Reed and Stevie Wonder; based in Vancouver
21
Peter Tork, 77
A member of the Monkees, who was known to dabble in blues outside of the Monkees
MARCH
1
Michael Mettalia, 56
Harp player who led the band, Mike Mettalia & The Midnight Shift
8
Eddie Taylor Jr., 46
Highly respected Chicago guitarist who followed in the footsteps of his famous dad, Eddie Taylor
9
Abb Locke, 85
Legendary Chicago sax player who worked and recorded with many blues luminaries, including Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Elmore James, Willie Dixon, Magic Sam and Otis Rush. Spent the last 18 years of his career with Dave Weld & The Imperial Flames
11
Hal Blaine, 90
American Hall of Fame drummer for legendary session musicians, The Wrecking Crew
JULY
4
David Kimbrough Jr., 54
Mississippi Hill Country musician who was one of 36 children of blues legend Junior Kimbrough
22
Art Neville, 81
BLUES-ISH New Orleans legend, who was a founder of the Meters and the Neville Brothers
AUGUST
1
Ian Gibbons, 67
BLUES-ISH Former Kinks keyboardist
19
Larry Taylor, 77
Guitarist for blues rock band Canned Heat
??
Jimmy Richards, age unknown
Bass player who played with the late Killer Ray Allison
SEPTEMBER
5
Pat Rush Brown, 69
Mississippi Soul Blues Singer
23
Robert Hunter, 78
Longtime lyricist for the Grateful Dead, who at least had an appreciation for the blues and covered an occasional song
22
Frank Redding Jr.
West Coast (Portland) blues man who performed with a number of bands, including Tyrone Davis, Etta James and Terry Evans.
OCTOBER
1
Beverly “Guitar” Watkins, 80
A regular on the Atlanta blues scene who recorded her first album at the age of 60
6
Ginger Baker, 80
BLUES-ISH Drummer for the blues rock band Cream
8
Henry “Gip” Gibson, 99
Longtime owner of Gip’s Place, a blues club and juke joint he ran out of his backyard in Bessemer, AL
8
Molly Duncan, 74
BLUES-ISH Scottish saxophonist for Average White Band
22
Ed Cherney, 69
Grammy- and Emmy-winning producer and engineer whose long list of credits includes Buddy Guy’s Blues Singer recording
26
Paul Barrere, 71
BLUES-ISH Rock singer/guitarist for Little Feat
NOVEMBER
18
Jef Jaisun, 73
Seattle-based blues and jazz photographer who was also a talented musician and writer; won a Keeping the Blues Alive in Photography award from The Blues Foundation in Memphis
19
Wee Willie Walker, 77
Described as one of the most underrated soul blues singers of our time; based in St. Paul, MN, and most recently appeared with the Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra
23
Tom Burns, 67
Harp player and a fixture on the Minneapolis blues circuit; Burns was living in Arizona at the time of his passing.
DECEMBER
26
Sleepy LaBeef, 84
BLUES-ISH An American rockabilly singer
29
Rose Mandel, ?
Sister of guitarist Harvey Mandel