The Best City Blues Singers in the Universe!! (Or at least the ones I like!)

Posted on by Opher

I got into electric Blues when I was fourteen and Dick Brunning made me listen to Lightnin’ Hopkins for hours on end! I became enamoured with the amplified guitar and grew to love it. I progressed on to Howlin’ Wolf and John Lee Hooker and then I was completely hooked!

These are my favourite electric Blues singers (and guitarists):

Elmore James

Sonny Boy Williamson

Muddy Waters

Howlin’ Wolf

Albert King

Slim Harpo

Lazy Lester

Buddy Guy

Little Walter

Hound Dog Taylor

John Lee Hooker

Billy Boy Arnold

BB King

Jimmy Reed

Junior Kimbrough

RL Burnside

Lightnin’ Hopkins

T-Bone Walker

Albert Collins

I always go back to the Blues! I love slide guitar! I love the energy!

6 thoughts on “The Best City Blues Singers in the Universe!! (Or at least the ones I like!)”

  1. Great list! For people of a certain age, this is in the bloodstream! Though if it was me I’d complete the collection of Kings and go for Freddie!

    1. Dave – Cheers! Yes I had fun thinking about it. They were so important for me.
      I would have added Freddie but he was not one of my great favourites.

  2. Only one problem with that story – Lightnin’ Hopkins wasn’t electric, but an amplified acoustic and an entirely different sound! The record player must have been terrible if you couldn’t tell the difference!
    If memory serves I’ve seen your lists before and there’s always that old one-trick pony, Son House on it. What happened? Anyway, a welcome omission.
    Which Sonny Boy Williamson is that? 1st or the pretender, the 2nd?
    Kimbrough and Burnside don’t really belong on that same list.
    Very mainstream list that could be found on any compilation with nobody out of the ordinary. 60 years of exposure and that’s it? Don’t you listen to any of the lesser known’s or originals such as Sylvester Weaver, Blind Willie McTell or Big Maceo Merryweather, Otis Rush?

    1. David/Andrew – although Lightnin’ Hopkins was not often electric he was on the one that I got into – Lightnin’ Strikes on Ember. He was in a studio with a highly amplified guitar and a lot of echo. That’s good enough for me.
      I know, you’ve said many times about your dislike of Son House. Fine. Your loss. I think he’s great – and he’s on my acoustic list – right at the top. I like him best of all of them. He played a National Steel guitar – not electric.
      Obviously it is Willie Rice Miller – the 2nd Sonny Boy. A brilliant showman who created some outstanding tracks. I never liked the first one. I found him boring.
      Kimbrough and Burnside fit on for me – North Mississippi Hill Country Blues of the first order – powerful and exciting – straight out of Holly Springs. I visited and saw the burnt out hall where Burnside used to play and visited the Howlin’ Wolf museum. Great stuff. I would have added Fred McDowell too – who comes from there. He’s another favourite of mine. He comes from there too.
      Big Maceo was a piano guy – I liked his worried Life Blues but I’m not a great fan. I have an album or two. I prefer Joe Turner.
      Weaver and McTell were acoustic Blues – on my other list (at least McTell is).
      Otis Rush had some good stuff and so did Guitar Slim but neither are great favourites of mine.
      I listen to many different guys but I know what I like and this is a list of my favourites. It’s not some game of showing off that I know an extensive list of obscure people.

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