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Muddy Waters (1915–83) is the vital link between the pre-war Delta blues and the post-war Chicago blues. Born in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, he grew up on Stovall’s Plantation near Clarksdale and became steeped in the slide-guitar blues of Son House and Robert Johnson. In 1941, he was recorded by archivist Alan Lomax, playing ‘Country Blues’ and ‘I’s ...

Source: Rock Guitar Heroes, consultant editor Rusty Cutchin

Muddy Waters was without question the creator of the Chicago blues sound, the most important figure in post-war blues and the greatest influence on the British blues movement that followed. The Rolling Stones even went as far as to name themselves after a Muddy song. Muddy’s music blended the downhome essence of Mississippi Delta blues with the sophistication of Chicago’s ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz & Blues, founding editor Howard Mandel

(Guitar, vocals, 1913–83) Born McKinley Morgenfield in Mississippi, Muddy Waters was first recorded by musicologist Alan Lomax. Waters’ first recording for Lomax, ‘I Be’s Troubled’, would become his first hit when he recorded it in Chicago as ‘I Can’t Be Satisfied’ (1948). By 1951, Waters was on the R&B charts consistently with tunes like ‘Louisiana Blues’, ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley

(Vocals, 1896–1977) Ethel Waters’ most significant blues releases, on Cardinal and Black Swan, were recorded in the early 1920s. Versatile and ambitious, she soon moved into a more pop-oriented direction, and she also began to work in films and theatrical productions. It was in theatre that she eventually made her greatest mark, but after a ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz & Blues, founding editor Howard Mandel

The period 1969–76 was highly collaborative, with all four members of Floyd making a contribution to the process of writing musical material or coaxing ideas to fruition in extended studio sessions or during live performances. Roger Waters had, though, emerged as the prime lyricist in the band and his passionate nature and strongly held convictions guided both his ...

Source: Pink Floyd Revealed, by Ian Shirley

December Battersea Photoshoot Roger Waters’ idea for the cover of the new Pink Floyd album was of a pig hovering over the four chimneys of the Battersea Power station. He tasked Hipgnosis to photograph this concept. A 12-m (40-ft) inflatable pig was duly made and inflated, and three days were set aside in December – even with the album scheduled ...

Source: Pink Floyd Revealed, by Ian Shirley

January Animals Like the flying inflatable pig Floyd, too, had become un­tethered from their usual working practices. In 1976 they had upgraded their rehearsal space in Britannia Row, Islington, into a 24-track studio and between April and November laid down and mixed Animals. Two tracks that had previously been aired live as far back as 1974 (‘Gotta ...

Source: Pink Floyd Revealed, by Ian Shirley

Tax Exile Album sales and tour receipts made Pink Floyd one of the most financially, as well as commercially, successful bands in the world. Due to pungent UK tax laws that would take up to 83 per cent of all income – leaving them with 17 pence from every pound earned – they were eventually advised to seek shelter ...

Source: Pink Floyd Revealed, by Ian Shirley

October Wright Resigns With Waters and co-producer Bob Ezrin driving The Wall sessions in Los Angeles, New York and France Floyd were no longer operating as a unit. Waters later stated that only Gilmour was of any musical use with Wright and, to an extent, Mason missing in action. Whether Wright was emotionally burned out after marital problems ...

Source: Pink Floyd Revealed, by Ian Shirley

February The Wall Tour Begins The Wall in concert remains one of the most visually spectacular shows staged by any rock band. The concept of a 340-white-brick wall 49 m (160 ft) wide and 10.5 m (35 ft) high being erected as the band performed to collapse at the finale was a stroke of theatrical genius. With staggering effects, ...

Source: Pink Floyd Revealed, by Ian Shirley

May Nick Mason’s Fictitious Sports In May 1981 Nick Mason became the third Floyd member to release a solo album when Nick Mason’s Fictitious Sports was released. ‘Fictitious’ was something of a pun as the main writer of the jazzy tracks was pianist and composer Carla Bley. ‘I wanted to make a record of stuff that I like, by musicians ...

Source: Pink Floyd Revealed, by Ian Shirley

The Wall Movie Gerald Scarfe’s unique form of art provided animations for segments of the In The Flesh tour as well as knocking the Hipgnosis design team off the front cover of The Wall album. With Roger Waters intent on taking the adventures of Pink to the screen he and the artist put together a 40-page illustrated storyboard – some of ...

Source: Pink Floyd Revealed, by Ian Shirley

March Waters Wins BAFTA Outside of music polls and top figures for touring box-office grosses, the members of Pink Floyd were not well-versed in winning prestigious awards. This changed in March 1983 when ‘Another Brick in The Wall (Part 2)’ won Roger Waters a BAFTA for Best Original Song, pipping ‘The Eye Of The Tiger’ from Rocky III to ...

Source: Pink Floyd Revealed, by Ian Shirley

March Gilmour’s About Face When Dave Gilmour began recording his second solo album in France 1983 with Jeff Porcaro (drums), Pino Palladino (bass), Ian Kewley (keyboards) and a host of contributors he appeared to be laying down tracks that would lead him away from the railway station that was Pink Floyd. Musically, About Face was slight, fuzzy fun and ...

Source: Pink Floyd Revealed, by Ian Shirley

July Live Aid The Live Aid concerts held on 13 July 1985 were one of the greatest musical events of all time. That Bob ‘Pink’ Geldof was a prime mover meant that David Gilmour received a phone call to get Floyd together to perform. With relations between Gilmour, Waters and Nick Mason approaching legal waters, Gilmour suggested he bring ...

Source: Pink Floyd Revealed, by Ian Shirley
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