Died On This Date (November 24, 1993) Albert Collins / Texas Blues Guitar Great

Albert Collins
October 1, 1932 – November 24, 1993

Albert Collins was an electric blues guitarist so great, that he was awarded not one, but three nicknames – the Iceman, the Master of the Telecaster, and the Razor Blade.  Born in a small Texas town mid-way between Dallas and Houston, Collins took an early shine to the music he heard around him.  When he was 7, he and his family moved to Houston, and it was there that he eventually began making a name for himself by playing a style that was equal parts Texas, Mississippi, and Chicago blues.  In 1952, Collins formed his first band and within two years, he was headlining clubs in and around Houston.  He began making records in 1958, and went on to record for such respected labels as Imperial, Alligator, and Point Blank.  Collins was also an in-demand side man and be heard playing on records by the likes of David Bowie, B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, John Mayall, and Gary Moore.  In August of 1993, Albert Collins learned he was suffering from lung and liver cancer.  He died of the disease three months later, on November 24, 1993.  He was 61.

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Showdown! (Remastered) - Albert Collins, Robert Cray & Johnny Copeland


Died On This Date (November 20, 2010) Albert “Little Smokey” Smothers / Chicago Bluesman

Albert “Little Smokey” Smothers
January 2, 1939 – November 20, 2010

Little Smokey Smothers was a popular Chicago-area blues singer and guitarist.   Smothers was playing the guitar by the time he turned 15, and within two years, he had moved from his home in Mississippi to Chicago to make his mark.  In those early years, he played with the likes of Magic Sam, Otis Rush and Howlin’ Wolf, for whom he played on his Chess recordings.   During the early ’60s, Smothers met Paul Butterfield and soon helped him form the Paul Butterfield Blues Band.  He played with most of the blues greats during the ’60s, but his career all but dried up by the ’70s so he left the business to work construction.  His music career enjoyed a renaissance during the ’90s – he spent the next several years performing at popular blues festivals and recording albums.  After his health began to deteriorated during the mid-2000s due to diabetes, old friends and collaborators like Elvin Bishop stepped in to help with fund raisers, etc.  On November 20, 2010, Little Smokey Smothers died of natural causes.  He was 71.

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That's My Partner! - Elvin Bishop

Died On This Date (October 10, 2010) Solomon Burke / Pioneering Soul, Blues & Gospel Singer

Solomon Burke
March 21, 1940 – October 10, 2010

Solomon Burke was a beloved and influential singer-songwriter who built a sizable following due to his powerful gospel, soul, and blues voice.  Burke ‘s first adult profession was a preacher, and went on to become a popular gospel radio host and then a singer.  Signed to the prestigious Atlantic Records in 1960, went on to release several critically acclaimed secular records, his most famous perhaps was “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love,” which was covered by the likes of the Rolling Stones, Jerry Garcia, Wilson Pickett, and the Blues Brothers (John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd).  During the 2000s, Burke made a comeback of sorts.  He was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, and won a Grammy in 2003 for his Fat Possum release, Don’t Give Up On Me Baby album.  He was also playing in front of his biggest crowds at concerts and festivals around the world, as well as worldwide audiences on television.  Between 2005 and 2008, Burke released a trilogy of albums for Shout! Factory, Make Due With What You Got, Nashville, and Like A Fire – all are essential listening.  On October 10, 2010, Solomon Burke died unexpectedly at an Amsterdam airport where he had just landed en route to a performance.  Cause of death was not immediately released, but it is believed to have been of natural causes.  He was 70.

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Nashville - Solomon Burke

Died On This Date (September 10, 2010) Foster Wiley aka Mr. Tater / Clarksdale, MS Street Musician

Foster “Mr. Tater” Wiley
DOB Unknown – September 10,2010

Photo by Tim Burge

Affectionately known as Mr. Tater, Foster Wiley was a beloved street musician in the legendary blues city of Clarksdale, Mississippi.  Besides entertaining blues fans and tourists throughout the city, Wiley was a familiar face at local clubs and blues festivals.  He reportedly never sang the same song twice.  As one of the last remaining original Delta blues musicians, Wiley has been featured in such documentaries as M is for Mississippi, and news outlets like CNN, BBC, The New York Times, and NPR.   He also released numerous albums over the course of his career.  In ailing health in recent weeks, Foster Wiley passed away on September 10, 2010.  He is believed to have been 63.



Died On This Date (September 1, 2005) R.L. Burnside / Blues Great

Robert “R.L.” Burnside
November 23, 1926 – September 1, 2005

burnside
Photo by Jim "Boogie" Wells

R.L. Burnside was a Mississippi back country blues musician who remained in relative obscurity until he was championed by alternative blues rocker, Jon Spencer in the mid ’90s.   Born in Mississippi, Burnside spent his early adult life as a sharecropper and fisherman, playing at parties on the weekends.   After a stint living in Chicago, Burnside moved back to Mississippi and was soon convicted of murder for shooting a man in the head.  He was sentenced to six months at the notorious Parchman prison.  Upon release, Burnside began making records for roots label, Arhoolie.  During the ’90s, Burnside began recording for Fat Possum Records, a label that specialized in “rediscovering” aging and relative obscure blues artists from the southern region.  He then hooked up with Spencer to record and tour, exposing him to a whole new generation of underground “punk blues” fans.  Burnside had heart surgery in 1999 and a heart attack in 2001.  He passed away at the age of 78 in a Memphis hospital.

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Too Bad Jim - R.L. Burnside