Died On This Date (July 3, 1972) Mississippi Fred McDowell / Blues Icon
themusicsover Mississippi Fred McDowell
January 12, 1904 – July 3, 1972
Mississippi Fred McDowell was born outside of Memphis and picked up the guitar at the age of 14. By his early 20s, McDowell was playing dances in and around Memphis, mastering the art of the slide guitar. In the late ’50s, he was exposed to a larger audience thanks to recordings he made for folklorist, Alan Lomax. He was a direct influence on Bonnie Raitt, R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, the Rolling Stones and countless others. McDowell died of cancer at the age of 67.
What You Should Own
Stephen Bruton was a beloved Texas songwriter, guitarist, and producer. Born in Fort Worth, Bruton’s first big break came at age 22, when he was asked to play in Kris Kristofferson’s band. Since then, Bruton has been an entertainment jack of all trade. After many years as a sideman, Bruton stepped out to the front of the stage and became a headliner himself. As a respected songwriter, he’s written songs for Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, 
Ian Wallace was an accomplished session rock drummer who is most often remembered for his short stint in King Crimson during the early ’70s. He can be heard playing on Islands and their live album, Earthbound. Throughout the years, Wallace played with a who’s who of rock music. He played on such albums as Bob Dylan’s Street Legal and At Budokon, Bonnie Raitt’s Nine Lives, Don Henley’s Building A Perfect Beast, Rodney Crowell’s Houston Kid, Stevie Nicks’ Wild Heart, and many more. He released just one album, 2003’s Happiness With Minimal Side Effects. Ian Wallace was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in August of 2006, and subsequently died of it on February 22, 2007. He was 60.
