Chicago Blues Fest Celebrates Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon
Tonight at Chicago Blues Fest, they will honor the lives and careers of Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon. The legendary musicians would have turned 100 this year.
Both musicians moved from the South to Chicago and played a huge part in developing what is known as the Chicago Blues Sound. Among the rock musicians they influenced are the Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, Eric Clapton and Led Zeppelin.
Blues concerts at Chicago's Grant Park date back to August 30, 1969. Mayor Richard J. Daley was still smarting over the bad publicity from what happened at the 1968 Democratic convention. He thought it would help the city and himself if he put on a concert in the park. He put Dixon in charge of this and it turned out to be the first Blues show at the old Grant Park bandshell.
Among the performers that played were Bo Diddley, Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, Junior Wells and Muddy Waters. Waters closed the show by performing "Got My Mojo Working."
In 1984, Chicago's Blues Fest officially began and it's the most popular music festival in the city. They expect about 500,000 people to attend this year. So while the Festival celebrates Waters and Dixon's centennial, here's a look at their lives and music.
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A couple of years ago I came up with the brilliant idea of renaming a local airport Muddy Waters International Airport. I still think it's a good idea.
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