A Month of Blues History
August
This is the history of the blues – one month at a time.
1900-1929
August 26, 1903 – Jimmy Rushing, US blues singer born
August 24, 1905 – Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup, American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist (That’s Alright), born in Forest, Mississippi (d. 1974)
August 22, 1917 – John Lee Hooker, American blues guitarist (Boogie Chillen), born in Clarksdale, Mississippi (d. 2001)
August 8, 1920 – James “Jimmy” Witherspoon, American jump blues singer (Ain’t Nobody’s Business), born in Gurdon, Arkansas (d. 1997)
August 16, 1928 – Eddie Kirkland, Jamaican/US blues guitarist (Have Mercy)
1930-1949
August 16, 1938 – Robert Johnson, US Delta-blues singer/guitarist, poisoned at 27
August 14, 1942 – Son [Frank] Seals, American blues musician (Nothing But the Truth), born in Osceola, Arkansas (d. 2004)
August 1, 1943 – Dennis “Denny” Cordell, British rock music and record producer (The Moody Blues, Leon Russell), born in Buenos Aires, Argentina (d. 1995)
August 18, 1949 – Paul J Mares, US jazz trumpetist/composer (Tin Roof Blues), dies at 49
August 26, 1949 – Leon Redbone [Dickran Gobalian], American blues and jazz musician (Seduced, Theme to Mr. Belvedere), born in Nicosia, Cyprus (d. 2019)
1950-1979
August 8, 1950 – Willie Hall, American drummer (Blues Brothers Band), born in Memphis, Tennessee
August 16, 1951 – Eric Bibb, American blues singer-songwriter, born in NYC, New York
August 1, 1953 – Robert Cray, American blues singer and songwriter (1987 Grammy), born in Columbus, Georgia
August 14, 1958 – Big Bill Broonzy, American blues singer and guitarist (Blues by Broonzy), dies of cancer at 65
August 27, 1970 – Jimi Hendrix creates his last studio recording at Electric Lady Studios in New York, an instrumental called “Slow Blues”
August 13, 1972 – Tina Brooks, American blues and funk saxophonist (True Blue), dies of liver failure at 42
August 6, 1973 – Memphis Minnie, American blues musician, dies at 76
August 29, 1976 – Jimmy Reed, American blues singer (Soulin’, Big Boss Man), dies of epileptic seizure at 50
1980-Present
August 14, 1984 – Bobo Jenkins [John Pickens Jenkins], American blues singer-songwriter (Democrat Blues), dies at 68
August 14, 1988 – Roy Buchanan, American blues guitarist, dies at 48
August 1, 1995 – Robert L. “Bob” Talley, American jazz and blues pianist and composer, dies at 75
August 13, 1995 – Jesse Thomas, blues singer, dies at 84
August 15, 1995 – Erbie Bowser, American blues and jazz pianist, dies at 77
August 12, 1997 – Luther Allison, blues performer (Motown), dies of cancer at 57
August 4, 2005 – Little Milton [James Milton Campbell], American blues singer and guitarist (Grits Ain’t Groceries), dies at 70
August 13, 2009 – Les Paul, American jazz, country and blues guitarist, songwriter and inventor (solid-body electric guitar), dies at 94
August 29, 2011 – David “Honeyboy” Edwards, American delta blues guitarist, dies at 96