Thursday, May 24, 2012

Oakland blues - Mississippi Johnny Waters


WATERS, MISSISSIPPI JOHNNY
b. John Sandifer, 24 May 1935; Jackson, MS
d. 30 January 1987; Oakland, CA
Waters changed his name in honor of Muddy Waters,
a major influence as singer and guitarist. He moved to
Oakland, California, in 1956 and performed songs by
Waters, Chuck Berry, and Fats Domino. During the
1970s he performed with harmonica player Mark
Hummel and the Blues Survivors. Despite a 1983
lung operation, he continued performing as a senior
member of the Bay Area blues scene.
EDWARD KOMARA
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4 comments:

  1. Tom Mazzolini, wrote about this Oakland artist in Living Blues 45-46 (Spring 1980). He died in 1987 and received obituaries in French, German and Austrian blues magazines and "death notices" in half a dozen others.

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  2. Thanks Alan. I could only find references to his playing at festivals in the Bay area. If you come across something that I could post I would be happy to revise (link?).

    Best

    Bman

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  3. For what it's worth here's his entry in the 2006 Routledge Encyclopaedia of the Blues Vol. 2 (page 1055)

    WATERS, MISSISSIPPI JOHNNY
    b. John Sandifer, 24 May 1935; Jackson, MS
    d. 30 January 1987; Oakland, CA
    Waters changed his name in honor of Muddy Waters,
    a major influence as singer and guitarist. He moved to
    Oakland, California, in 1956 and performed songs by
    Waters, Chuck Berry, and Fats Domino. During the
    1970s he performed with harmonica player Mark
    Hummel and the Blues Survivors. Despite a 1983
    lung operation, he continued performing as a senior
    member of the Bay Area blues scene.
    EDWARD KOMARA

    ReplyDelete
  4. That's great! Thanks Alan. Much appreciated!

    ReplyDelete