Jackie Ross had a smash with “Selfish One” in 1964—but that just happens to be the best-selling single from her decades of great songs.
Category: The Secret History of Chicago Music
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A local R&B favorite by the Fabulous Turks gets resurrected after half a century
Chicago singer-songwriter RJ Griffith has released a cover of his uncle’s old R&B band the Fabulous Turks.
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Saxophonist Gene Barge helped shape the sound of Chicago R&B
Gene Barge has done his most influential work as a sideman or producer, but he’s just as important as any of R&B’s marquee stars.
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Michael ‘Fuzzy’ deLisle is an unsung hero of the fertile 1970s Champaign-Urbana scene
Michael “Fuzzy” deLisle released just one single in his long career, but he’s played a staggering amount of great country rock and folk.
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Andrew ‘Big Voice’ Odom sang for blues stars but never became one
Andrew “Big Voice” Odom toured internationally—and also used to drop by Maxwell Street and overwhelm the makeshift sound systems.
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Pianist Willie Mabon gave Chess Records its first big hit
Despite a 1952 smash for Chess Records, pianist Willie Mabon was soon overshadowed by labelmates such as Bo Diddley and Muddy Waters.
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Big Daddy Kinsey was the Muddy Waters of Gary, Indiana
Blues patriarch Big Daddy Kinsey had three sons who played together as the Kinsey Report.
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Johnny Shines belongs in the pantheon alongside Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf
Bluesman Johnny Shines spent the late 30s on the road with the great Robert Johnson, then lived long enough to win a W.C. Handy Award in the 90s.
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The Aces helped invent the sound of electric Chicago blues
The Aces are best known as a backing band, but they took the lead when it came to the future of the blues.
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A memorial to Alejandro Morales
Alejandro Morales’s death doesn’t just leave a hole in Chicago’s DIY music scene—it’s a loss to community activists, to affordable housing advocates, and to countless friendships.
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Kokomo Arnold helped shape giants of the blues
Kokomo Arnold’s recording career lasted less than a decade, but he changed the world by influencing the likes of Robert Johnson and Elmore James.
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Multimedia artist Frank Garvey makes music with robots to satirize late capitalism
Frank Garvey, creator of the long-running OmniCircus, also recorded two brilliantly unclassifiable albums in Chicago in the late 70s.
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Liof Munimula took their play with sound seriously
Liof Munimula’s toolbox included a 42-piece percussion setup, a shortwave radio rig with a 40-foot antenna, and a subversive sense of humor.
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Nearly a century ago, Dave Tough helped define Chicago jazz drumming
Chicago jazz drummer Dave Tough died young, only barely outliving the big-band era, but his influence lives on.
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Girl group the Lovelites hit big but never became stars outside Chicago
The Lovelites had their biggest success with “How Can I Tell My Mom and Dad,” which came out when they were so young they could barely tour.