Blues History – July

A Month of Blues History
July

This is the history of the blues – one month at a time.

July 1

1899 – Born on July 1, 1899, in Villa Rica, Georgia, Dorsey grew up in a religious household. His father was a Baptist preacher and his mother a church organist who introduced him to music at an early age. After moving to Atlanta, he absorbed both sacred music and the blues traditions flourishing on Decatur Street.

1946 – Paul “Wine” Jones was one of the lesser-known but highly respected figures of modern Mississippi blues. Born on July 1, 1946, in Flora, Mississippi, Jones learned guitar from his father and was playing house parties by his early teens. Deeply rooted in Delta and hill country traditions, he developed a raw, hypnotic style that blended droning rhythms, wah-wah guitar effects, and soulful vocals.

July 2

1924 – Milwaukee Slim was a Texas-born blues singer, drummer, bandleader, and master of ceremonies whose larger-than-life personality made him a favorite on Midwestern blues stages for decades. Born Angelo Chambers on July 2, 1924, in Denton, Texas, he developed his performing skills while living in Dallas, where he worked as a waiter at a blues club and often served as emcee.

1924 – Born Angelo Chambers on July 2, 1924, Milwaukee Slim was a Texas-born blues singer and bandleader who became a fixture of Minnesota’s blues scene. Known for his lively stage presence, he finally recorded in the early 1990s, leaving behind a single album before his death in 1993.

1933 – Born on July 2, 1933, in Live Oak, Florida, “Blind” Willie James became one of the Sunshine State’s most respected blues and gospel performers. Blind from birth and orphaned while still an infant, James found comfort and purpose through music, singing gospel in local churches during his youth. While attending the Florida School for the Blind in St.

1933 – Born blind on July 2, 1933, Willie James overcame tremendous obstacles to become one of Florida’s respected blues and gospel performers. A Florida Folk Heritage Award recipient, he blended church-rooted gospel with heartfelt blues, performing for decades across the state’s blues circuit and preserving Florida’s musical traditions.

July 3

1929 – Texas blues and soul blues singer Lillia Lavell “Lavelle” White was born on July 3, 1929, in Amite City, Louisiana. Raised by sharecropper parents, she began writing poetry at age 12, a creative spark that soon led to songwriting and singing gospel music. At 15, she moved to Houston, Texas, where she immersed herself in the city’s thriving blues scene and performed alongside guitarist Clarence Hollimon.

1929 – Born July 3, 1929, Lavelle White became one of Texas blues’ most enduring voices. After decades on stage with legends like Bobby Bland and Otis Redding, she finally released her debut album at age 65. Her career earned Blues Music Award nominations and induction into the Texas Music Hall of Fame.

1881 – Simeon “Blind Simmie” Dooley remains one of the lesser-known but highly influential figures of early country blues. Born in Hartwell, Georgia, either on July 3, 1881, or in June 1887, Dooley overcame blindness to become a respected guitarist and singer whose music helped shape the Piedmont blues tradition of the southeastern United States.

July 4

1943 – Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson was born on July 4, 1943, in Arlington, Massachusetts, and became one of the most influential blues revivalists of the 1960s. Despite severe nearsightedness and a shy personality, Wilson developed an encyclopedic knowledge of prewar blues, studying artists such as Son House, Charley Patton, Robert Johnson, Bukka White, and especially Skip James, whose haunting falsetto vocals influenced Wilson’s own distinctive singing style.

1943 – Born July 4, 1943, Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson was a blues scholar, guitarist, harmonica player, and co-founder of Canned Heat. He helped revive Son House’s career, sang hits like “Going Up the Country,” and recorded with John Lee Hooker. Wilson died at age 27 on September 3, 1970, but remains a key figure in blues history.

1910 – blues and boogie-woogie pianist “Champion Jack” Dupree was born either July 23, 1909 or July 4, 1910. The entry documents a date-specific milestone in the subject’s blues career and biography.

July 5

1913 – One of the unluckiest men in New Orleans, rhythm & blues singer and guitarist Smiley Lewis, was born July 5, 1913. The entry documents a date-specific milestone in the subject’s blues career and biography.

1913 – Born July 5, 1913, as Overton Amos Lemons, Smiley Lewis became a New Orleans R&B pioneer known for hits like “The Bells Are Ringing” and “I Hear You Knocking. ” Despite recording several classics before Fats Domino, Lewis often saw others achieve greater success with his songs. He died of stomach cancer in 1966 at age 53.

1953 – Blues slide guitar player Kenny Brown was born July 5, 1953 on the Air Force base in Selma, Alabama. The entry documents a date-specific milestone in the subject’s blues career and biography.

July 6

1960 – On July 6, 1960, Texas blues legend Lightnin’ Hopkins entered a Houston recording studio and recorded “Chain Gang Blues,” another example of the raw, deeply personal style that made him one of the most influential blues artists of the twentieth century. By 1960, Hopkins was experiencing a career resurgence as the growing folk and blues revival introduced his music to a new generation of listeners.

1960 – On July 6, 1960, Lightnin’ Hopkins recorded “Chain Gang Blues,” a powerful song reflecting the hardships of Southern prison labor. Recorded during his career resurgence, the track showcased his improvisational guitar style, vivid storytelling, and ability to blend traditional country blues with modern influences.

July 7

1913 – Blues piano maestro Pinetop Perkins was born July 7, 1913. He admittedly wasn’t the originator of the seminal piano piece ‘Pinetop’s Boogie Woogie,’ but it’s a safe bet that more people associate it nowadays with Pinetop Perkins than with the man who devised it in the first place, Clarence “Pinetop” Smith.

1916 – Blues, jazz and R&B guitarist Lloyd “Tiny” Grimes was born on July 7, 1916 in Newport News, Virginia. He was a member of the Art Tatum Trio from 1943 to 1944, was a backing musician on recording sessions, and later led his own bands, including a recording session with Charlie Parker. He is notable for playing the electric tenor guitar, a four-stringed instrument.

July 8

1952 – Louisiana swamp blues guitar player Larry Garner was born on July 8, 1952 in New Orleans and grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The entry documents a date-specific milestone in the subject’s blues career and biography.

1924 – Born on July 8, 1924, in Fairmont, West Virginia, Johnnie Johnson became one of the most important, yet often overlooked, architects of rock and roll. A self-taught pianist influenced by jazz greats Art Tatum, Earl “Fatha” Hines, and Meade “Lux” Lewis, Johnson developed a rolling boogie-woogie style that would help define a new musical era.

1924 – Born July 8, 1924, Johnnie Johnson was a pioneering pianist whose boogie-woogie style helped shape rock and roll. Best known for his partnership with Chuck Berry, he played on many classic hits before later earning recognition through solo recordings, major collaborations, and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

1934 – Henry Qualls was an American Texas and country blues guitarist and singer. He found success late in his life after being “discovered” in 1993 by the Dallas Blues Society. He released his only album in 1994 but toured globally playing at a number of festivals; The artist died December 7, 2003.

July 9

1958 – Our own harmonica player extraordinaire was born on this day back in 1958. The entry documents a date-specific milestone in the subject’s blues career and biography.

1910 – Today we want to recognize Piedmont blues singer and guitarist Gabriel Brown who was born sometime in 1910. Details of the man’s life are a bit sketchy, but some items are generally agreed upon. Brown was born in Florida, probably in Gadsden County, and graduated from the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical College; In 1934, he performed at the first National Folk Festival in St. Louis, Missouri.

1916 – Joe Liggins was one of the key architects of postwar jump blues and early rhythm and blues, helping lay the groundwork for the rise of rock and roll. Born in Seminole, Oklahoma, on July 9, 1916, as Theodro Elliott, he later adopted the name Joseph Christopher Liggins and became one of the most successful bandleaders of the 1940s and early 1950s.

1926 – Margaret Johnson recorded “Folks In New York City Ain’t Like Folks Down South, Up North Blues.”. The entry documents a date-specific milestone in the subject’s blues career and biography.

July 10

1953 – Master guitarist Charles “Little Charlie” Baty was born on July 10, 1953, in Texarkana, Texas, and became one of the most respected blues guitarists of his generation. Known for his dazzling technique, deep knowledge of blues history, and ability to blend Chicago blues, swing, jazz, and rockabilly, Baty built a reputation as a musician’s musician whose style was impossible to categorize.

1953 – Born July 10, 1953, Charles “Little Charlie” Baty was a master blues guitarist and leader of Little Charlie & The Nightcats. Renowned for his fiery, genre-blending style, he recorded extensively, toured worldwide, taught aspiring musicians, and earned a place in the Sacramento Blues Society Hall of Fame before his death in 2020.

1958 – Chicago keyboard tickler Barrelhouse Chuck was born July 10, 1958. His birth name is Harvey Charles Goering and he claimed to be the only Chicago blues pianist to have studied under Sunnyland Slim, Pinetop Perkins, Blind John Davis, Detroit Junior, and Little Brother Montgomery. His work appeared on sixteen albums.

1904 – Blues guitarist and singer Blind Boy Fuller was born July 10, 1904. Fuller was one of the most popular of the recorded Piedmont blues artists with rural African Americans.

July 11

1936 – West Coast blues guitarist Robert “Smokey” Wilson was born on July 11, 1936 in Glen Allan, Mississippi. He spent most of his career performing West Coast blues and juke joint blues in Los Angeles, California. He recorded a number of albums for record labels such as P-Vine Records, Bullseye Blues and Texmuse Records.

1947 – July 11, 1947, – Francine Reed, born July 11, 1947, in Pembroke Township, Illinois, United States is an American blues singer, solo artist, and regular singing partner of Lyle Lovett since the 1980s and member of Lovett’s Large Band. Reed has also recorded duets with Willie Nelson and Delbert McClinton and others.

2002 – this day in 2002. Blues pianist Rosco Gordon was a pioneer of the Memphis blues style which had an emphasis on the off-beat. Known now as the “Rosco rhythm,”it proved to be a huge influence on later musical styles.

1890 – Charley Jordan was a St. Louis blues singer, songwriter and guitarist, as well as a talent scout, originally from Mabelvale, Arkansas, United States. He was known for a unique style that drew on his rural roots. The artist died November 15, 1954.

July 12

1967 – Magic Sam started recording “West Side Soul” on this date in 1967. It would prove to be groundbreaking in pairing soul and blues together. West Side Soul ranks among many blues aficionados as one of Delmark Records’ two ‘desert island discs’ from the 1960s along with Junior Wells’ Hoodoo Man Blues.

1968 – The original LP liner notes make special note of the inclusion of soul music in the blues, as reflected in the album title, and the disc kicks off with the soulful melody of the gospel-rooted ‘That’s All I Need. ‘ Recorded in Chicago, July 12 and October 22/25, 1967. Released on LP as Delmark DS-615 in 1968; on CD as DD-615 in 1991.

1931 – Teddy Reynolds, blues pianist, songwriter, and singer, was born in Houston on July 12, 1931. He was the son of Ora Lee Reynolds Miles.

1959 – On July 12, 1959, the second day of the first Newport Folk Festival featured blues legends Bo Diddley, Memphis Slim, and Reverend Gary Davis. The festival became a vital platform for reviving the careers of many early blues artists, introducing their music to new generations and helping spark the folk-blues revival of the 1960s..

July 13

1947 – When folklorist Alan Lomax recorded Big Bill Broonzy, Memphis Slim, and John Lee ‘Sonny Boy’ Williamson on July 13, 1947 in New York City, the results were so controversial that he waited a decade to release the album Blues in the Mississippi Night and even then disguised the identity of the artists and the location of the session. The entry documents a date-specific milestone in the subject’s blues career and biography.

1994 – a great blues piano player this day in 1994. Eddie Boyd was born in the Delta but went on to top the R&B Charts in the ’50s.

1994 – Boyd died in 1994 at the Meilahti Hospital in Helsinki. He was buried in the St. Lawrence Church’s cemetery in Vantaa. A few months later, Eric Clapton’s chart-topping blues album From the Cradle, which includes interpretations of Boyd’s “Five Long Years” and “Third Degree”, was released; November 25, 1914 – July 13, 1994.

July 14

1952 – Smitty’s association with Muddy got him some session work at Chess Studios over in Chicago, and on July 14, 1952 he recorded four of his own songs for them. ‘Sad Story’ and ‘Crying’ were issued as a single, “Date Bait” was also another prominent track to come out of that session.

1935 – Dick Waterman was an American writer, promoter and photographer who was influential in the development and recording of the blues from the 1960s. The artist died January 26, 2024.

1935 – Dick Waterman was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on July 14, 1935. He studied journalism at Boston University in the 1950s. He moved on to write for Broadside Magazine and later became its feature editor; In 1963 he began to promote local shows with blues artists, including Mississippi John Hurt, Booker “Bukka” White and Mississippi Fred McDowell.

1939 – Jack Kelly recorded “Joe Louis Special” and “Flower Blues” in Memphis for Vocalion. The entry documents a date-specific milestone in the subject’s blues career and biography.

July 15

1910 – Washboard Sam Brown was born July 15, 1910. He was reputedly the half-brother of Big Bill Broonzy. In the 20s he performed with Sleepy John Estes and Hammie Nixon in Memphis; In the 30’s, he moved to Chicago, performing regularly with Broonzy, Memphis Slim and Tampa Red.

1932 – Blues harp great Willie Cobbs was born July 15, 1932. Cobbs is best known for his classic “You Don’t Love Me” which has been covered by the Allmans, Magic Sam & John Mayall among others.

1939 – Luther “Houserocker” Johnson was an American electric blues singer, guitarist and songwriter. He recorded two studio albums in his lifetime and was a regular live performer over seven decades. He is not to be confused with Luther “Guitar Junior” Johnson, nor Luther “Georgia Boy” Johnson; The artist died July 5, 2019.

July 16

1939 – Denise LaSalle, born Ora Denise Allen on July 16, 1939, in Leflore County, Mississippi, became one of the most successful and influential voices in soul, blues, and R&B. Following the death of Koko Taylor in 2009, many fans and industry figures recognized LaSalle as the “Queen of the Blues.”.

1939 – Denise LaSalle, born July 16, 1939, rose from Mississippi roots to become one of soul-blues music’s most influential voices. Known for hits like “Trapped by a Thing Called Love” and “My Toot Toot,” she earned recognition as the “Queen of the Blues,” was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2011, and remained a powerful performer until her death in 2018.

1902 – Delta blues guitar and piano player Richard “Hacksaw” Harney was born July 16, 1902. He first entered a recording studio with his brother Maylon in 1928, to record guitar work backing for separate tracks by Pearl Dickson and Walter Rhodes. However, Harney recorded rarely, until his belated solo album, Sweet Man, 1972.

1939 – Soul singer and songwriter William Bell was born July 16, 1939 in Memphis, Tennessee. He was born William Yarbrough. He took the last name “Bell” as a stage name in honor of his grandmother, whose first name was Belle.

July 17

1925 – Blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter Harrison Demotra Nelson Jr., better known as Peppermint Harris, was born on July 17, 1925, in Texarkana, Texas. Though never a household name, he left behind one of the most enduring records of the postwar blues era and enjoyed a career that stretched nearly five decades.

1925 – Born July 17, 1925, Peppermint Harris was a Texas blues singer and guitarist best known for his 1951 R&B chart-topper “I Got Loaded. ” A friend of Lightnin’ Hopkins, Harris recorded for nearly 50 years, blending Texas blues and rhythm and blues while earning renewed recognition during the blues revival era.

1969 – Blues guitar player Johnny Burgin was born July 17, 1969. He’s an extraordinary musician whose soulful playing and captivating performances have earned him a well-deserved reputation as one of the genre’s finest. With a career spanning over three decades, Burgin has become a respected figure in the blues community, admired for his technical prowess, deep understanding of the blues tradition, and ability to connect with audiences.

1939 – Margie Evans, born Marjorie Ann Johnson; July 17, 1939 – March 19, 2021 was an American blues and gospel singer and songwriter. She started recording in the late 1960s and continued to record for five decades. She secured two hit singles on the US Billboard R&B chart.

July 18

1939 – Dion Francis DiMucci, born July 18, 1939, better known simply as Dion, is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. His music has incorporated elements of doo-wop, pop, rock, R&B, folk and blues.

1941 – Guitar maestro Lonnie Mack was born July 18, 1941. His innovative playing style and soulful sound left an indelible mark on the world of music. Mack was a self-taught musician who developed a unique blend of blues, rock, and country that defied categorization; Mack’s virtuosic guitar skills were evident from an early age, employing techniques such as string bending, vibrato, and fast-paced solos.

1969 – On July 18, 1969, Janis Joplin and the Kozmic Blues Band made their first appearance on The Dick Cavett Show, delivering one of the most memorable television performances of the era. Fresh from recording her debut solo album, I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama., Joplin was in the midst of redefining her career after leaving Big Brother and the Holding Company.

July 19

1932 – Chicago blues guitar player Buster Benton was born July 19, 1932. He played guitar in Willie Dixon’s Blues All-Stars and is best known for his solo rendition of Dixon’s song “Spider in My Stew.”.

1940 – The man they call The Blues Maestro, Little Freddie King, was born July 19, 1940, in McComb, Mississippi. The entry documents a date-specific milestone in the subject’s blues career and biography.

1941 – Philip Upchurch, born July 19, 1941 Philip Upchurch: The Soulful Master of the Blues. The entry documents a date-specific milestone in the subject’s blues career and biography.

July 20

1947 – Legendary guitarist Carlos Santana was born July 20, 1947. He’s captivated audiences with his unique blend of rock, Latin, and blues influences.

1947 – Carlos Santana, born July 20, 1947, revolutionized music by blending rock, Latin, and blues into a signature sound. Rising to fame after Woodstock, he delivered classics like “Evil Ways” and “Black Magic Woman. ” His Grammy-winning Supernatural, celebrated collaborations, philanthropy, and messages of peace have made him a global music icon.

1952 – Steve Freund, born July 20, 1952, in Brooklyn, New York, is one of America’s most respected traditional blues guitarists, singers, producers, and educators. Although based for many years in the San Francisco Bay Area, his musical foundation was forged after moving to Chicago in 1976. Where he immersed himself in the city’s legendary blues scene.

1952 – Born July 20, 1952, Steve Freund is a respected blues guitarist, singer, producer, and educator whose Chicago blues roots were shaped by legends like Hubert Sumlin and Jimmy Rogers. Now based in the San Francisco Bay Area, he continues to preserve traditional electric blues through recordings, performances, and guitar instruction.

July 21

1917 – Legendary Chicago blues pioneer Floyd Jones was born on July 21, 1917, in Marianna, Arkansas. The entry documents a date-specific milestone in the subject’s blues career and biography.

1915 – Blues-infused jazz guitarist and singer Floyd Edward “Butter” McDaniel was born on July 21, 1915, in Athens, Alabama. After moving to Chicago in 1930, he became part of the city’s vibrant music scene for the next 65 years. As a teenager, he performed on street corners before joining the Rhythm Rascals in 1933, appearing at the Chicago World’s Fair and later touring nationally.

1939 – John Lee “Sonny Boy Williamson” recorded “Something Going On Wrong.”. The entry documents a date-specific milestone in the subject’s blues career and biography.

July 22

2010 – On July 22, 2010, Delta Groove Productions issued an email statement regarding Walker’s death: “It is with deepest sorrow that we report on the sudden and unexpected passing of legendary blues guitarist Phillip Walker. He died of apparent heart failure at 4:30 AM, early Thursday morning, July 22, 2010. He was 73 years old.”.

1929 – Born on July 22, 1929, in LaGrange, Georgia, Mable Hillery became one of the most powerful voices connected to the Gullah musical traditions of the Georgia coast. Raised in the Deep South during segregation, Hillery blended spirituals, work songs, blues, and freedom music into performances that carried both historical weight and emotional force.

1947 – On July 22, 1947, Big Joe Williams recorded “Wild Cow Moan” in Chicago, blending raw Delta blues with the emerging electric Chicago sound. Backed by Sonny Boy Williamson I and an outstanding band, the session captured a pivotal moment in blues history and showcased Williams’ influential nine-string guitar style.

July 23

1902 – Curly “Barefoot” Miller, born July 23, 1902, in New Orleans, became a beloved Dallas blues entertainer known for performing barefoot and keeping early Texas blues traditions alive. A colorful street performer and mentor to younger musicians, he remained active until his death on May 4, 1995.

1946 – Blues guitarist, singer and songwriter Percy Strother was born July 23, 1946 in Vicksburg, Mississippi. The entry documents a date-specific milestone in the subject’s blues career and biography.

1943 – Tony Joe White, the legendary “Swamp Fox,” whose July 23, 1943 birth marked the arrival of one of America’s greatest swamp blues and swamp rock storytellers. Raised on a cotton farm near Goodwill in West Carroll Parish, Louisiana, White absorbed blues, country, gospel, and Cajun influences that shaped his unmistakable sound. He began performing at school dances before honing his craft in clubs across Louisiana and Texas.

1902 – Curly “Barefoot” Miller remains one of the last great links to the earliest generation of Texas blues, preserving the music through decades of street performances, club dates, and festival appearances. His July 23, 1902 birth at Charity Hospital in New Orleans marked the beginning of a life devoted to entertaining audiences with blues, humor, and unforgettable showmanship.

July 24

1906 – Detroit blues musician “Washboard Willie” was born on July 24, 1906 in Bullock County, Alabama or in Columbus, Georgia in 1909. The entry documents a date-specific milestone in the subject’s blues career and biography.

1942 – Mighty Mo Rodgers was born on July 24, 1942 in East Chicago, Indiana. He launched a career of one of modern blues’ most thoughtful songwriters, keyboardists, producers, and social commentators. Raised around the blues acts that performed in his father’s nightclub, Rodgers studied classical piano before embracing the sounds of Stax Records, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Jimmy Reed, Willie Dixon, and Aretha Franklin.

1942 – Muddy Waters recorded “Burr Clover Blues” on Stovall’s Plantation. The entry documents a date-specific milestone in the subject’s blues career and biography.

July 25

2020 – Fleetwood Mac co-founder Peter Green died peacefully in his sleep on July 25, 2020, at the age of 73. Revered as one of the greatest blues guitarists of all time, his soulful playing, expressive songwriting, and unmistakable tone helped define the British blues boom of the 1960s and inspired generations of musicians.

1984 – Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton died on July 25, 1984, leaving behind a powerful blues legacy. Her original 1953 hit “Hound Dog” topped the R&B charts, while later recordings like “Ball and Chain” cemented her influence. Her commanding voice and harmonica playing inspired generations of blues and rock artists.

1897 – A pioneer of country blues, guitarist Sylvester Weaver was born July 25, 1897. He’s a significant yet under-recognized figure in blues history and made his mark as one of the first recorded blues guitarists. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Weaver’s contributions to the blues genre, specifically his slide guitar techniques, have been influential and continue to inspire modern blues and folk musicians.

1906 – Henry “Papa” Brown, Troy, TN – HENRY ‘Papa’ BROWN – born on this day, July, 25 1906 in Troy, Tennessee. He was an American blues piano player, vocalist and songwriter. He was recorded from 1929, and settled in St. Louis; He mainly speaking on self tune, than singing.

July 26

1942 – Born in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on July 26, 1942, Willie “Popsy” Dixon became one of the most distinctive voices in modern blues, soul, and gospel music. Raised in Brooklyn after moving north as a child, he grew up in the Pentecostal church. Where he began playing drums at an early age and developed the soaring falsetto that later became his trademark.

1942 – Born July 26, 1942, Willie “Popsy” Dixon was the soulful drummer and vocalist of the acclaimed Holmes Brothers. Known for his soaring falsetto and powerful grooves, he helped blend blues, gospel, soul, and R&B into a unique sound. A National Heritage Fellow and Blues Music Award winner, Dixon passed away on January 9, 2015, at age 72.

1917 – Blues singer Alberta Adams was born July 26, 1917 in Indianapolis, Indiana. She was raised in Detroit and an early age she wanted to be an entertainer.

July 27

1917 – Blues guitar player Moses Rascoe was born on July 27, 1917 in Windsor, NC. The entry documents a date-specific milestone in the subject’s blues career and biography.

1956 – On July 27, 1956, Willie Dixon stepped into a Chicago recording studio and cut one of the most enduring songs of his career, “29 Ways. ” Released later that year on Checker Records as Checker 851, the record showcased Dixon not only as a songwriter but also as a charismatic vocalist and bassist.

1956 – On July 27, 1956, Willie Dixon recorded “29 Ways” for Checker Records, showcasing his talents as a singer, bassist, and songwriter. The swinging blues classic highlighted the wit and style that made Dixon one of Chicago blues’ greatest creative forces, and it remains a favorite covered by artists around the world.

July 28

1943 – Mike Bloomfield ranks among the most influential blues guitarists in American music history. Born July 28, 1943 in Chicago, Illinois, he grew up in a prosperous family but found his true education in the city’s South Side blues clubs. Where he learned directly from masters including Muddy Waters, Sleepy John Estes, Yank Rachell, Little Brother Montgomery, and Buddy Guy.

1935 – The blues song “Every Day I Have the Blues” was recorded July 28, 1935 by Pinetop Sparks with Henry Townsend on guitar. It was first performed in the taverns of St. Louis by brothers Pinetop and Milton Sparks.

1935 – Recorded on July 28, 1935, by Pinetop Sparks with Henry Townsend, “Every Day I Have the Blues” evolved into one of blues music’s greatest standards. Reworked by Memphis Slim and later popularized by Lowell Fulson, Joe Williams, and B. B; King, the song earned Grammy Hall of Fame honors and Blues Hall of Fame recognition.

1947 – Bentonia blues guitarist Jimmy “Duck” Holmes was born on born July 28, 1947 in Yazoo County, Mississippi. This living blues legend is the proprietor of the Blue Front Cafe on the Mississippi Blues Trail, the oldest surviving juke joint in Mississippi. Holmes is known as the last of the Bentonia bluesmen, as he is the last blues musician to play the Bentonia style.

July 29

1966 – On July 29, 1966, the newly formed blues-rock trio Cream, featuring Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker, made their first live appearance at Manchester’s famous Twisted Wheel Club. The performance was a last-minute booking after another act canceled, giving the band an opportunity to test its chemistry before its official festival debut two days later.

1966 – On July 29, 1966, Cream, featuring Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker, made its first live appearance at Manchester’s Twisted Wheel Club. Performing blues classics like “Spoonful” and “Crossroads,” the trio previewed the powerful blues-rock sound that would soon make them one of music’s first supergroups and a major influence on future generations of rock and blues musicians.

1916 – Charlie Christian transformed the role of the guitar in American music, forever changing jazz, blues, and eventually rock and roll. With July 29, 1916, marking his birth in Bonham, Texas, Christian moved with his family to Oklahoma City as a young child.

1966 – British blues-rock supergroup Cream, Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker made their live debut at the Twisted Wheel club in Manchester, England, playing a set of classic blues covers. The entry documents a date-specific milestone in the subject’s blues career and biography.

July 30

1936 – Born July 30, 1936, Buddy Guy transformed Chicago blues with his electrifying guitar style, influencing generations of rock and blues musicians. A Grammy-winning, Rock Hall-inducted legend, he continues to record, tour, and keep the blues thriving well into his late 80s.

1939 – Big Jack Johnson, one of Mississippi’s fiercest electric blues musicians, was born July 30, 1939, near Lambert in the Delta, although he often used 1940 as his official birth year. A guitarist, singer, songwriter, and one of the few blues artists to master the mandolin, Johnson blended raw Delta traditions with powerful electric blues, earning the nickname “The Oil Man” from his longtime job driving an oil truck.

1939 – Born July 30, 1939, Big Jack Johnson became one of Mississippi’s fiercest electric blues artists and a rare blues mandolin player. As a member of the Jelly Roll Kings and a powerful solo performer, he kept Delta juke-joint traditions alive until his death in 2011.

1948 – Otis Taylor, born July 30, 1948, in Chicago, grew into one of the most original voices in modern blues after relocating to Denver, Colorado, as a child. The entry documents a date-specific milestone in the subject’s blues career and biography.

July 31

1897 – Ernest “Big” Crawford, born July 31, 1897, was the premier blues double bassist of his era and one of the most important sidemen in Chicago blues history. Though rarely in the spotlight, his steady, powerful bass anchored some of the most influential recordings of the 1940s and 1950s.