Louisiana Red, The GIANT of Blues . . .

Louisiana Red

1932 Born in Bessema, Alabama as Iverson Minter. His mother died a week after his birth.

1941 Louisiana Red’s father was killed by the Ku-Klux-Klan.

1972 His first beloved wife died from cancer.

1975 Festival in Montreux Strongly influenced by Muddy Waters,

Lightnin‘ Hopkins and Arthur Crudup, he has long ago found his own voice,
his own style, his own form of expression.
Louisiana Red has played with just about every major bluesman you can name, some of the most memorable encounters being his jams with B.B.King and Muddy Waters..

1981 Louisiana Red leaves the United States for living now in Germany

1983 W.C. Handy Award as best traditional blues artist.

1984 Marriage with his beloved wife Dora.

1997 The first triumphant comeback tours in the United States.

1998 Several comeback tours in the United States.

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Louisiana Red

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RED'S VISION

The current blues scene in the U.S. and Europe is characterized by a wide variety of styles and musicians. However, as the years go passing by there are fewer and fewer artists left that were active during the formative years of blues music, those who participated in the development of the music.

Thus, it is all the more important and cause for celebration that there are still artists such as Louisiana Red.

Louisiana Red has lived the Blues. And Louisiana Red not only plays the Blues, he lives it through his guitar and his singing. Strongly influenced by Muddy Waters, Lightnin‘ Hopkins and Arthur Crudup, he has long ago found his own voice, his own style, his own form of expression.

When Red performs, the songs are often only launching pad for expressing his immediate feelings in the almost lost tradition of spontaneous composition that goes back to the original Delta Blues artists an even further to the West-African griot bards.

In a career spanning over half a century, Louisiana Red has played with just about every major bluesman you can name, some of the most memorable encounters being his jams with B.B.King and Muddy Waters.

But it doesn’t matter who he plays with or where he appears - Louisiana Red brings the same intensitiy and enthusiasm to every stage he appears on, whether in front of 10,000 people at a festival or 100 people in an intimate club.

Louisiana Red’s albums have been called masterpieces by critics, and in 1983 he won a W.C. Handy Award as best traditional blues artist. After living in Germany for 20 years, he has made a several triumphant comeback tours in the United States.

Louisiana Red, The GIANT of Blues


But if you ask Red about it, he won’t tell you much about his success. He’ll much rather talk about his latest CD project, about a new song or a new guitar lick. Because Louisiana Red is constantly creating, always searching für another expression of his blues. For once, the hyperbole ist justified: Louisiana Red is the Blues.

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RIP Iverson Minter AKA Louisiana Red March 23rd,
1932- to February 25, 2012.

It is with a heavy heart that we report the passing of one of the greatest and most beloved traditional blues artists. Louisiana Red died on February 25th in a hospital in Germany. He was 79. Louisiana Red was a powerful downhome blues artist who could channel his teachers (among them Muddy Waters, Elmore James, Robert Nighthawk, Lightnin' Hopkins and John Lee Hooker) into his own heartfelt musical conversation, delivered with such moving passion and honesty that it would leave his audiences indelibly touched.

He was fine singer with a distinctive voice, and an amazing guitarist who could play all of the traditional blues styles and excelled as one of the world's greatest slide guitarists. He could create moods and textures, both musically and spiritually, and had the ability of falling so deep into his own songs that he would go to tears, making his audience cry with him. That was the gift of this great artist.

It is sad to say goodbye to the loving persona of this great bluesman who's music warmed our hearts. Louisiana Red's vulnerability became his strength and he filled his heart with an unstoppable passion for music and acceptance. His legacy is great and his friendships are many. He can now rest in peace after a lifetime of giving us everything he had through his amazing blues.

God bless you Red. . .

Bob Corritore

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Well we all hate to see a Blues GIANT pass on; it's like losing a member of our own family.  It's felt very deeply amongst us blues artists and supporters alike. 

I know that Red's passing happened back in February of this year, but I never took the opportunity to pay my respects by sharing his life with all of you.  I hope you liked this post and learned a little about Louisiana Red, The Giant of Blues.

Until next time, keep following the heart of music, the BLUES and try to listen to new CD's (albums) as often as you can to broaden your collection of blues artists to follow.

MUSICIAN by Night

 
"Help Keep The Blues Alive"