Blues Hall of Fame

The 32nd Blues Hall of Fame induction will be held Wednesday, May 4, at the Memphis Marriott Downtown in Memphis, Tennessee. Those being inducted include:

- Soulful singer/songwriter/guitarist Robert Cray

(Born August 1, 1953 in Columbus, Georgia)

Cray started playing guitar in his early teens and loved blues and soul music. By age 20, he decided to start his own band and began playing in college towns across the West Coast.

By 1982 he was the opening act for Eric Clapton. He generally played Fender guitars (Telecasters and Stratocasters). Cray continues to record and tour. Cray supported Eric Clapton on his 2006-2007 tour and joined Clapton on backup guitar for the Cream song "Crossroads".

- Acoustic blues artist, singer, guitarist, and harpist John Hammond
(Born November 13, 1942 in New York City, New York)

Hammond began playing guitar in high school and has recorded with Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, The Hawks/The Band, Dr. John and Duane Allman.

He usually plays acoustically, choosing National Reso-Phonic Guitars and sings in a barrelhouse style, an early form of jazz. Hammond earned one Grammy Award and was nominated for four others. He provided the soundtrack for the film, Little Big Man, starring Dustin Hoffman.

His most recent album, Push Comes to Shove, was released in February 2007.

 - Singer/songwriter, the Queen of Soul Blues Denise LaSalle
(Born July 16, 1939 in Belzoni, Mississippi)

LaSalle was raised in Belzoni, Mississippi and sang in local churches before moving to Chicago in the early 1960s. She was greatly influenced by country music as well as the blues. Her first recording contract was with Chess Records in 1967.

In 1971, she and her then husband Bill Jones, established an independent production company, Crajon. Her first major success was "Trapped By A Thing Called Love", released on Westbound Records. It made #1 on the national R&B chart and #13 on the Billboards Hot 100 chart.

She continues to work as a live performer at festivals.


- Big Maybelle, one of the most important R&B vocalists of the 1950s
(Born May 1, 1924 in Jackson, Tennessee-Died January 23, 1972 in Cleveland, Ohio)

Big Maybelle sang gospel as a child and in her teens switched to rhythm and blues. She started singing with Dave Clark's Memphis Band in 1936 and toured with the Sweethears of Rhythm.

She made the sang on the stage of the Spollo Theater in New York City and the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival. She appeared in Jazz on a Summer's Day (1960 filmed at the Newport Jazz Festival. Her last hit single was in 1967 with a cover of "96 Tears" by Question Mark & the Mysterians.

Big Maybelle's final album, Last of Big Maybelle, was released after she died in 1973.

 - Singer/songwriter, Alberta Hunter

(Born April 1, 1895 - Died October 17, 1984)

Hunter was an American blues singer, songwriter and nurse. Her career started in the early 1920s in Chicago and later she became a successful jazz and blues recording singer. In the 1950s she retired from music and became a nurse only to resume her singing career in her eighties.

She got her first break in New York City where she performed with Bricktop and Louis Armstrong. Hunter preferred performing in Europe where racism was not prevelant as it was in the United States.

- Singer/songwriter J.B. Lenoir

(Born March 5, 1929 in Monticello, Mississippi-Died April 29, 1967 in Urbana, Illinois)

Lenoir was greatly influenced by the music of Blind Lemon Jefferson, Arthur Crudup and Lightnin' Hopkins.

Om 1949, he moved to Chicago and was intoduced to the local blues community by Big Bill Broonzy. He became an important part of the city's blues scene. In 1951 he began recording on the J.O.B., Chess Records, Parrot, and Checker labels. His most successful songs included "Let's Roll", "The Mojo" and "Tax Paying Blues."

Lenoir was known for his showmanship, his zebra-patterened costumes and his high-pitched vocals in the 1950s. In 1963 he developed an interest in African percussion. During the Vietnam War, he wrote about racism.

John Mayall wrote "I'm Gonna Fight for You, J.B." and "Death of J.B. Lenoir". The 2003 documentary film The Soul of a Man, part of Martin Scorsese's series The Blues, explored Lenoir's career.