A Month of Blues History
July
This is the history of the blues – one month at a time.
1990-1929
July 1, 1915 – Willie Dixon, American blues musician (“Hoochie Coochie Man”), born in Vicksburg, Mississippi (d. 1992)
July 21, 1915 – Floyd McDaniel, blues singer/guitarist born
July 27, 1917 – Moses Rascoe, American blues singer, born in Windsor, North Carolina (d. 1994)
July 8, 1924 – Johnnie Johnson, American blues and jazz piano player (Chuck Berry’s band), born in Fairmount, West Virginia (d. 2005)
1930-1939
July 28, 1930 – David “Junior” Kimbrough, American bluesman, born in Hudsonville, Mississippi (d. 1998)
July 19, 1932 – Buster Benton, American blues singer and guitarist, born in Texarkana, Arkansas (d. 1996)
July 30, 1933 – Ben Piazza, American actor (Blues Brothers, Ben Casey, Dallas), born in Little Rock, Arkansas (d. 1991)
July 1, 1935 – James Cotton, American blues vocalist and harmonica player, born in Tunica, Mississippi (d. 2017)
July 30, 1936 – Buddy [George] Guy, American blues guitarist (Stone Crazy), born in Lettsworth, Louisiana
July 4, 1938 – Bill Withers, American rhythm & blues singer (Lean on Me), born in Slab Fork, West Virginia
July 16, 1939 – Denise LaSalle [Ora Denise Allen], American blues and R&B singer recognized as the “Queen of the Blues” (Trapped by a Thing Called Love), born in Leflore County, Mississippi (d. 2018)
1940-1979
July 28, 1943 – Mike Bloomfield, American blues guitarist/singer (Analine), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1981)
July 23, 1946 – Keith Ferguson, American blues musician (Fabulous Thunderbirds), born in Houston, Texas (d. 1997)
July 8, 1972 – Lovie [Cora] Austin, American jazz pianist (Down Hearted Blues), dies at 84
July 27, 1974 – Lightning Slim, blues singer (Nothing But the Devil), dies at 61
1980-Present
July 18, 1982 – “Blues in the Night” closes at Rialto Theater NYC after 53 performances
July 13, 1994 – Eddie Boyd, blues vocal/pianist, dies at 79
July 23, 1995 – Floyd McDaniel, blues singer/guitarist, dies at 80
July 21, 2005 – Long John Baldry, British blues musician (b. 1941)
July 5, 2007 – George Melly, British jazz & blues musician (b. 1926)
July 23, 2012 – Robert Cage, American blues guitarist (From Lake Mary), dies at 75 (b. 1937)
July 16, 2014 – Johnny Winter, American Hall of Fame blues musician, dies at 70