Chicago blueswoman Mary Lane has been making music for more than 70 years. She should be a legend, but she can barely pay her bills.
Tag: Robert Nighthawk
Posted inMusic
Slide guitarist John Littlejohn brought Mississippi country blues to Chicago
John Littlejohn’s raw slide-guitar style grew from the same soil that produced Elmore James, but he never became a star outside the Windy City.
Posted inMusic
Blueswoman Mary Lane is still looking for the respect she deserves at age 82
No-nonsense west-side veteran Mary Lane, who’s shared stages with the likes of Howlin’ Wolf and Buddy Guy, is raising money to finish her long-awaited second album.
Posted inMusic
One-armed blues harpist Big John Wrencher tore up Maxwell Street for decades
Mississippi native Big John Wrencher didn’t often record, but his rowdy performances made him famous at home and abroad.
Posted inMusic
Bluesman Leonard “Baby Doo” Caston played with the legendary Willie Dixon for years
Leonard Caston helped convince Willie Dixon to pursue the blues instead of boxing, but ended up overshadowed by his friend and fading from public view.
Posted inMusic
The Reader’s Guide to Chicago Blues Fest 2009
For 2009 the same financial pressures we’re all feeling have forced the Chicago Blues Festival to slim down from four days to three—but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Past fests have sometimes been spread pretty thin across those four days. Many artists played multiple times on multiple stages, and some sets ran so long […]