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Blues Musician Singer Songwriter

Died On This Date (August 12, 1997) Luther Allison / Chicago Blues Legend

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Luther Allison
August 17, 1939 – August 12, 1997

Luther Allison was a gifted Chicago blues guitarist who backed up both Howlin’ Wolf and James Cotton.  One of his first admires was Muddy Waters who invited Allison to join him on stage when he was just 18.  He started making records in the early ’60s and building a substantial following based in part on his lengthy live shows.   In 1972, Allison became the first and one of the few ever blues artists to be signed to Motown Records.  During the late ’70s, he moved to France where he was very popular.  He eventually moved back to the United States were he continued to perform and record well into the ’90s.  In 1997, Luther Allison died of a brain tumor at the age of 57.

What You Should Own

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Luther's Blues - Luther Allison

Country Early Rock Producer Radio

Died On This Date (July 30, 2003) Sam Phillips / Legendary Record Producer

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Sam Phillips
January 5, 1923 – July 30, 2003

samAs a producer, Sam Phillips was one of the key architects of early rock ‘n roll.  What he helped create in his Sun Studios would become the foundation on which current popular music was built.   Phillips opened his Memphis recording studio in 1950 to make records for his own label, Sun Records.  One of his early recordings was Jackie Brenston’s “Rocket 88,” that many consider the first rock ‘n roll record ever.  Other future legends he worked with were B.B. King, Bobby Blue Bland, Rufus Thomas and Howlin’ Wolf, whom he considers his greatest discovery.   Of course most consider his OTHER “discovery” to be his greatest – Elvis Presley.   Phillips recorded some of the biggest early records by some of the greatest names in rock history.  They included hits by Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Ike Turner,  and Roy Orbison.  Sam Phillips died of respiratory failure at the age of 80.


Blues Musician Singer Songwriter

Died On This Date (May 4, 1987) Paul Butterfield / Blues Great

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Paul Butterfield
December 17, 1942 – May 4, 1987

Photo by David Plastik – Click To Order Quality Prints – Discount code: 10OFF

Paul Butterfield was a harmonica player and  singer who was an integral part of the growth of blues rock.  He was also part of the Chicago scene of the early ’60s that introduced the blues to middle class white kids.  He was also one of the few “blues” artists that performed at Woodstock.  In his early days, Butterfield, along with friend Elvin Bishop, played with the likes of Muddy Waters, Junior Wells and Howlin’ Wolf.  He spent the next two decades performing and recording with various versions of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. In the early ’80s, Butterfield was diagnosed with peritonitis, a serious and painful inflammation of the intestines which would dog him for the rest of his life, and unfortunately, he developed an addiction to herion to help with the pain. His drug use eventually bankrupted him and ultimately took his life when he died of what was ruled an accidentaly overdose on May 4th, 1987. He was 44 years old.

What You Should Own

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - The Paul Butterfield Blues Band

Blues Musician Singer Songwriter

Died On This Date (April 30, 1983) Muddy Waters / Blues Icon

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Muddy Waters (Born McKinley Morganfield)
April 4, 1914 – April 30, 1983

Although he was born in Mississippi, Muddy Waters is considered the Father of Chicago Blues.  By electrifying the delta blues of his youth, Waters almost singlehandedly influenced the British blues explosion of the ’60s.  Acts like the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Cream might not have been born if it weren’t for Muddy Waters. By the early 1950s, Waters, along with his sidemen, Little Walter and Howlin’ Wolf were the biggest draw in Chicago, and in 1958, he set out to conquer the UK, who until that point had only known the acoustic blues of the likes of  Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee.  In doing so, Waters sparked a musical revolution.  Waters died in his sleep of natural causes on April 30, 1983.

What You Should Own

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Muddy Waters: The Definitive Collection - Muddy Waters

Musician Rock Singer Songwriter

Died On This Date (March 31, 1996) Jeffrey Lee Pierce / The Gun Club

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Jeffrey Lee Pierce
June 27, 1958 – March 31, 1996

Photo by Hank Grebe

Perhaps best known as the front man for L.A. blues-infused rock band, the Gun Club, Jeffrey Lee Pierce also worked for Bomp Records, wrote for a handful of punk ‘zines, and ran the Blondie fan club.  With the Gun Club, Pierce made an influential though not commercial impact on music with their swampy blues punk sound that drew strongly from such blues giants as Charley Patton and Howlin’ Wolf.  Gun Club were a direct influence on the White Stripes, Screaming Trees and the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.  By the ’90s, Pierce was struggling with personal demons and drugs, leading to a marked decline in his creative output.   He died of a brain hemorrhage on the final day of March, 1996.  He was just 37.

What You Should Own

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Fire of Love - The Gun Club

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