Theodore “Hound Dog” Taylor
April 12, 1915 – December 17, 1975
Hound Dog Taylor was an electric blues guitarist who was born in Mississippi but in 1942 moved to Chicago where he eventually became one of the city’s premier performers. It wasn’t until relatively late in life, 1957, that Taylor began his music career. He was known for his prowess on the slide guitar, the fact that he had six fingers on his left hand certainly didn’t hurt. In 1971, Taylor became the first artist signed to Alligator Records which would soon turn into one of the premier blues and roots labels in the world. He released a handful of acclaimed albums for the label and toured the country with the likes of Big Mama Thornton and Muddy Waters. Hound Dog Taylor was 60 years old when died of lung cancer on December 17, 1975.