Phil Chess, 95
One of the Chess brothers who founded the legendary recording company that recorded Chicago's most famous blues men and women
Marie Dixon, 79
Wife of Chicago blues legend Willie Dixon and matriarch of the Chicago blues community who carried on Willie's vision with the Blues Heaven Foundation at 2120 S. Michigan
Long-time WDCB DJ and local civil rights and labor union attorney
Bill Ham, 79
ZZ Top's long-time manager
Herb Kent, 88
Herb "The Cool Gent" Kent was a legendary Chicago DJ for more than 70 years at 11 different radio stations
Tanja Riley
Wife of guitarist Dave Riley
Willie “Po’ Monkey” Seaberry, 74
Proprietor of Po' Monkey's Juke Joint in Bolivar County, MS, one of the Delta's most famous music halls
Ralph Speas, 83
Long-time blues authority and past president of the Piedmont Blues Preservation Society; hosted a blues show at WQFS
Amy "Atomic Mama" Van Singel, 66
One of the founding members of Living Blues magazine
BLUES COMMUNITY MEMBERS
Mose Allison, 89
Pianist/singer/songwriter who dabbled in both jazz and Delta blues
Lee Andrews, 79
Doo wop legend (Lee Andrews and the Hearts) and father of Roots drummer Questlove
Lecresia Campbell, 53
Gospel singer
Daryl Coley, 60
Gospel singer who was a member of Helen Stevens and the Voices of Christ and the Edwin Hawkins Singers
Stanley Dural Jr.
aka Buckwheat Zydeco, 68
Accordionist and ambassador for zydeco music
Wayne Jackson, 74
Trumpet player who was half of the legendary Memphis Horns
James Jamerson, Jr., 58
Motown bass player who followed his legendary father into the business
Songwriter who wrote for Artie "Blues Boy" White and others. He was also a performer, agent, and producer
Sharon Jones, 61
Powerhouse soul singer who found fame with her band, the Dap-Kings, late in life
Joe Ligon, 80
Founder and singer for the Mighty Clouds of Joy, one of gospel music's most successful quartets
John D. Loudermilk, 82
Country singer/prolific songwriter who wrote the blue-ish song, Tobacco Road
Sir Mack Rice, 82
Singer/songwriter who wrote Mustang Sally, Respect Yourself , Cheaper to Keep Her, Cadillac Assembly Line and Cold Women with Warm Hearts, among many others; was in the Falcons with Wilson Pickett in Detroit
Multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member famous for his gospel-infused boogie woogie piano style
Guitarist for Elvis Presley and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee
Lewie Steinberg, 82
Original bassist for Booker T. & the MGs
Jerome Teasley, 67
Drummer extraordinaire who worked with such artists as Al Green, Jimi Hendrix and Ike and Tina Turner, but who is best known as part of the seminal Motown band, Jr. Walker & the All-Stars; in recent years, he also played with blues singer Janiva Magness
Reginald Torian, Sr., 65
Soul singer who took over for Curtis Mayfield in The Impressions
Singer and co-founder of Earth, Wind & Fire
Bernie Worell, 72
Keyboardist for Parliament Funkadelic and unofficial member of the Talking Heads
Local Chicago guitarist who started his career as a drummer backing legends such as Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy and James Cotton
Chicago guitarist who played for several years with the Lonnie Brooks band and also with the Chicago Rhythm & Blues Kings and others
Rick L. Blues (Rick Leblanc), 5)
Canadian harp player
Tommy Brown, 84
Atlanta blues singer with more than 75 years in the business
Aron Burton, 77
Chicago bass player, singer and songwriter who was a founding member of Albert Collins's Ice Breakers band and who recorded for Earwig
Karen Carroll, 58
Former Delmark recording artist who sang with Carey Bell and Professor Eddie Lusk; goddaughter of singer Bonnie Lee
Otis Clay, 73
Beloved Chicago Soul Blues/Gospel singer
Bobby “Top Hat” Davis, 83
Maxwell St. regular performer and the father of the late Eric "Guitar" Davis; hosted the Bobby Davis Blues Show on CAN TV
Barrelhouse Chuck Goering, 58
Blues fan who became a legendary piano player in Chicago after arriving in Chicago to learn from his blues heroes
Preston Hubbard, 63
Former bass player for the Fabulous Thunderbirds; session musician on Bonnie Raitt's Nick of Time recording
Ted Harvey, 85
Drummer for Hound Dog Taylor and the Houserockers, the first band recorded by Alligator Records
Long John Hunter, 84
Texas guitarslinger with a reputation for showmanship; his first album, Ride With Me, was recorded in 1993
Candye Kane, 54
Bawdy LA-based blues singer who fought a courageous eight-year battle with cancer
Jimmi J (Jimmie E. Jacobs Sr.), 64
Lead guitarist/vocalist for Jimmi J and the Hard Drive
Morris "Moe" Jennings, 77
Chess Records studio drummer best known for playing drums on Muddy's album, Electric Mud, and the 1969 album, The Howlin' Wolf Album
Lonnie Mack, 74
Legendary blues rock guitarist who influenced many other guitarists
LT McGee, 70
West side Chicago bluesman with a powerful voice who was a regular at the Polk St. Pub blues jams and a founder of the R&B group, the Homewreckers
Little Bobby Reynolds
West side blues singer
Eric Udel
Bass player for the Original Blues Brothers Band for the past 15 years
LC Ulmer (Lee Chester Ulmer), 87
Mississippi Delta multi-instrumentalist who played guitar, keyboards, drums, fiddle, banjo mandolin, kazoo, and harmonica
Bob Walsh, 68
Highly respected Canadian blues guitarist from Quebec
Ruby Wilson, 68
Blues, soul and gospel singer known as The Queen of Beale St. in Memphis
"Killer" Ray Allison
BORDERLINE BLUES MUSICIANS
All photos © Chicago Blues News/Karen Murphy
BLUES MUSICIANS
Marie Dixon
Goodbye, Old Friends
A brief look at the blues community members who left us in 2016
chicagoBLUESnews
LT McGee
Barrelhouse Chuck