Jimmy Reed's 100th Birthday

Today (September 6, 2025) would have been American Blues Legend Jimmy Reed's 100th birthday.

Biographical highlights (from Wikipedia)

• Born Mathis James Reed in Dunleith, Mississippi (Sept 6, 1925)
• Moved to Chicago (1943)
• Signed to Vee-Jay Records (1953)
• Released first single High and Lonesome (1953)
  
  
  
  Links: Jimmy Reed, More Jimmy Reed Stories, Video above courtesy of TheBluesfan12
  
  
• Released hi first hit single You Don't Have to Go (1955)
  
  
  
  Video above courtesy of Jimmy Reed
  
  
• Released first album, I'm Jimmy Reed (1958)
• Passed away (August 29, 1976)
• Inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame (1980)

Here's a video of the late, great Mel Brown (who moved to Kitchener later in life) covering Jimmy's Baby What Do You Want Me To Do.

Links: Mel Brown, More Mel Brown Stories, Video above courtesy of GitarCarl

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2025 Living Blues Award Winners Including Canada's Kenny 'Blues Boss' Wayne & Sue Foley

In early July, Living Blues Magazine announced their 2025 Living Blues Award winners. 

Below is a complete list of winners. Canadian Artists are bolded.

* signed to Waterdown's Stony Plain Records

Reader's Poll

• Best Blues Album (New Recordings): Sue Foley (Ottawa): One Guitar Woman: A Tribute to the Female Pioneers of Guitar *
  
  
  
  Links: Sue Foley, More Sue Foley Stories, Video above courtesy of Sue Foley
  
  
• Best Blues Album of 2024 (Reissue Recordings): B.B. King: Live in Japan
• Best Live Performer: Bobby Rush
• Blues Artist of the Year (Female): Shemekia Copeland
• Blues Artist of the Year (Male): Christone "Kingfish" Ingram
• Blues Band of the Year: Southern Avenue
• Blues Book: Out of the Blue: Life on the Road with Muddy Waters by Brian Bisesi 
• Most Outstanding Blues Singer: Mavis Staples
• Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar): Christone "Kingfish" Ingram
• Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica): Charlie Musselwhite
• Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard): Marcia Ball

Critics' Poll

• Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard): Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne (Burlington) *
  
  
  
  Links: Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne, More Kenny "Blues Boss" Stories, Video above courtesy of Kenny 'Blues Boss' Wayne - Topic
  
  
• Artists Deserving More Attention: Jovin Webb
• Best Blues Album: Shemekia Copeland - Blame It on Eve
• Best Historical Release / Pre-war: Sleepy John Estes - Working Man Blues, 1929–1952
• Best Historical Reissue / Postwar: Jimmy Reed - I’m Jimmy Reed (LP)
• Best Live Performer: Bobby Rush
• Blues Artist of the Year (Female): Shemekia Copeland
• Blues Artist of the Year (Male): Ronnie Baker Brooks
• Blues Band of the Year: Rick Estrin & the Nightcats
• Blues Book: Jelly Roll Blues: Censored Songs and Hidden Histories by Elijah Wald
• Comeback Artist of the Year: Daddy Mack Orr
• Contemporary Blues Album: Ronnie Baker Brooks - Blues in My DNA
• Most Outstanding Blues Singer: Shemekia Copeland
• Most Outstanding Musician (Bass): Bob Stroger
• Most Outstanding Musician (Drums): Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith
• Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar): Christone "Kingfish" Ingram
• Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica): Billy Branch
• Most Outstanding Musician (Horns): Vanessa Collier
• Most Outstanding Musician (Other): Sharde Thomas-Mallory (Fife)
• Producer of the Year / New Recording: Will Kimbrough (Shemekia Copeland - Blame It on Eve)
• Soul Blues Album: Sugaray Rayford - Human Decency
• Traditional or Acoustic Blues Album: Jontavious Willis -West Georgia Blues

Links: Living Blues, More Living Blues Awards Stories

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Douglas Watson Rhythm and Blues Revue@Lancaster Smokehouse (February 3, 2012)

More BB King covers/stories





This was a fundraiser to help Mo Kauffey and his wife. More from this show later.

Click here for the Douglas Watson site

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James Anthony and Friends@Oakville Jazz Festival (August 6, 2011)

Click here if you can't see the videos.

Left to right: Joe Marquez (Pop Cherry), James Anthony, Les Smith (Trickbag)





More BB King covers/stories



More Robert Johnson covers/stories



Bonus Videos



Video courtesy of 6StringJunkie



Video courtesy of RockSteadyNina, More Rolling Stones covers/stories


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