Centerstage - Chicago's Original City Guide

Virtual L™

Musician At Work Forums in Chicago. Learn the Biz.
RELATED INFORMATION
Who's Who - Music

Styles: Blues, Guitarists, People, Singers, Soul

Directory: Y
Own Mighty Joe Young Today!
Clubs & Venues
By Style
A to Z
Reviews by Users
Articles & Features
All Articles
SUBSCRIBE to
CRUMB and FestFile is Centerstage Chicago's Weekly E-Newsletter.
Enter your email to get
our weekly newsletter:

Mighty Joe Young
 
One of the first bluesmen to regularly play the North Side, Mighty Joe Young made his name in the '50s and '60s as one of the city's premier blues and R&B session musicians. Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, Young joined Howlin' Wolf's group in 1956, and went on to work with Jimmy Rogers, Billy Boy Arnold and Otis Rush and to record with Magic Sam, McKinley Mitchell and Tyrone Davis.

During the '70s, he became popular on the college and club circuits and gained international recognition. But unfortunately, at the height of his popularity, surgery for a pinched nerve in his neck took away some of his guitar precision and dextery which he never fully recovered.

Since then, he's presented himself as a contemporary soul/blues singer. Though his range is a bit limited, his gritty voice fits the genre nicely. His first solo album, Blues With a Touch of Soul, (Delmark Records) was released in 1970. His riffing on Tyrone Davis' "Can I Change My Mind" has become ubiquitous. After a long illness, he released a new disc, Mighty Man, on Blind Pig Records. He passed away in 1999.

Got a correction? Click Here

Pages linking to this one include:

  • Willie Hayes
  • chicago, metromix