Phil Chess, 95
One of the Chess brothers who founded the legendary recording company that recorded Chicago's most famous blues men and women


Marie Dixon, 79
Wife of Chicago blues legend Willie Dixon and matriarch of the Chicago blues community who carried on Willie's vision with the Blues Heaven Foundation at 2120 S. Michigan


Greg Freerksen, 65

Long-time WDCB DJ and local civil rights and labor union attorney


Bill Ham, 79
ZZ Top's long-time manager 


Herb Kent, 88
Herb "The Cool Gent" Kent was a legendary Chicago DJ for more than 70 years at 11 different radio stations


Tanja Riley
Wife of guitarist Dave Riley


Willie “Po’ Monkey” Seaberry, 74 
Proprietor of Po' Monkey's Juke Joint in Bolivar County, MS, one of the Delta's most famous music halls


Ralph Speas, 83
Long-time blues authority and past president of the Piedmont Blues Preservation Society; hosted a blues show at WQFS


Amy "Atomic Mama" Van Singel, 66 
One of the founding members of Living Blues magazine

  BLUES COMMUNITY MEMBERS

Mose Allison, 89
Pianist/singer/songwriter who dabbled in both jazz and Delta blues

Lee Andrews, 79 
Doo wop legend (Lee Andrews and the Hearts) and father of  Roots drummer Questlove

Lecresia Campbell, 53 
Gospel singer 


Daryl Coley, 60 
Gospel singer who was a member of Helen Stevens and the Voices of Christ and the Edwin Hawkins Singers

Stanley Dural Jr.
aka Buckwheat Zydeco, 68

Accordionist and ambassador for zydeco music


Wayne Jackson, 74
Trumpet player who was half of the legendary Memphis Horns


James Jamerson, Jr., 58 
Motown bass player who followed his legendary father into the business


Bob Jones, 83

Songwriter who wrote for Artie "Blues Boy" White and others. He was also a performer, agent, and producer


Sharon Jones, 61
Powerhouse soul singer who found fame with her band, the Dap-Kings, late in life


Joe Ligon, 80 
Founder and singer for the Mighty Clouds of Joy, one of gospel music's most successful quartets


John D. Loudermilk, 82
Country singer/prolific songwriter who wrote the blue-ish song, Tobacco Road


Sir Mack Rice, 82 
Singer/songwriter who wrote Mustang Sally, Respect Yourself , Cheaper to Keep Her, Cadillac Assembly Line and Cold Women with Warm Hearts, among many others; was in the Falcons with Wilson Pickett in Detroit


Leon Russell, 74

Multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member famous for his gospel-infused boogie woogie piano style


Scotty Moore, 84

Guitarist for Elvis Presley and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee


Lewie Steinberg, 82
Original bassist for Booker T. & the MGs


Jerome Teasley, 67
Drummer extraordinaire who worked with such artists as Al Green, Jimi Hendrix and Ike and Tina Turner, but who is best known as part of the seminal Motown band, Jr. Walker & the All-Stars; in recent years, he also played with blues singer Janiva Magness 

Reginald Torian, Sr., 65 
Soul singer who took over for Curtis Mayfield in The Impressions


Maurice White, 74

Singer and co-founder of Earth, Wind & Fire

Bernie Worell, 72
Keyboardist for Parliament Funkadelic and unofficial member of the Talking Heads

“Killer” Ray Allison, 60

Local Chicago guitarist who started his career as a drummer backing legends such as Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy and James Cotton 


Osee Anderson, Sr.

Chicago guitarist who played for several years with the Lonnie Brooks band and also with the Chicago Rhythm & Blues Kings and others


Rick L. Blues (Rick Leblanc), 5)

Canadian harp player

Tommy Brown, 84 
Atlanta blues singer with more than 75 years in the business


Aron Burton, 77
Chicago bass player, singer and songwriter who was a founding member of Albert Collins's Ice Breakers band and who recorded for Earwig

Karen Carroll, 58
Former Delmark recording artist who sang with Carey Bell and Professor Eddie Lusk; goddaughter of singer Bonnie Lee


Otis Clay, 73
Beloved Chicago Soul Blues/Gospel singer


Bobby “Top Hat” Davis, 83 

Maxwell St. regular performer and the father of the late Eric "Guitar" Davis; hosted the Bobby Davis Blues Show on CAN TV


Barrelhouse Chuck Goering, 58
Blues fan who became a legendary piano player in Chicago after arriving in Chicago to learn from his blues heroes


Preston Hubbard, 63
Former bass player for the Fabulous Thunderbirds; session musician on Bonnie Raitt's Nick of Time recording

Ted Harvey, 85
Drummer for Hound Dog Taylor and the Houserockers, the first band recorded by Alligator Records


Long John Hunter, 84
Texas guitarslinger with a reputation for showmanship; his first album, Ride With Me, was recorded in 1993

Candye Kane, 54
Bawdy LA-based blues singer who fought a courageous eight-year battle with cancer 


 Jimmi J (Jimmie E. Jacobs Sr.), 64
Lead guitarist/vocalist for  Jimmi J and the Hard Drive 


Morris "Moe" Jennings, 77
Chess Records studio drummer best known for playing drums on Muddy's album, Electric Mud, and the 1969 album, The Howlin' Wolf Album


Lonnie Mack, 74
​Legendary blues rock guitarist who influenced many other guitarists

LT McGee, 70
West side Chicago bluesman with a powerful voice who was a regular at the Polk St. Pub blues jams and a founder of the R&B group, the Homewreckers


Little Bobby Reynolds  
West side blues singer


Eric Udel
Bass player for the Original Blues Brothers Band for the past 15 years

LC Ulmer (Lee Chester Ulmer), 87 
Mississippi Delta multi-instrumentalist who played guitar, keyboards, drums, fiddle, banjo mandolin, kazoo, and harmonica

Bob Walsh, 68 
Highly respected Canadian blues guitarist from Quebec 


Ruby Wilson, 68
Blues, soul and gospel singer known as The Queen of Beale St. in Memphis

"Killer" Ray Allison

 BORDERLINE BLUES MUSICIANS

All photos © Chicago Blues News/Karen Murphy

  BLUES MUSICIANS

Marie Dixon

Goodbye, Old Friends

A  brief look at the blues community ​members who left us in 2016

Copyright © Chicago Blues News. All rights reserved.

chicagoBLUESnews

LT McGee

Barrelhouse Chuck