Who Is Killing The Great Blues Artists of America?

Floyd Dixon, the singer and jump-blues pianist who dubbed himself "Mr. Magnificent," died July 26 in Orange, California. He was 77. Dixon's best-known song was the raucous "Hey Bartender," which was made popular by the Blues Brothers. His other recordings included "Wine, Wine, Wine," "Call Operator 210," "Telephone Blues" and Lieber & Stoller's "Too Much Jelly Roll”...

Jessie Mae Hemphill, a blues musician whose award-winning career lasted decades, died July 22 in Memphis, Tennesee. She was believed to be 71. Hemphill won the W.C. Handy Award— the blues community's equivalent of a Grammy— for best traditional female blues artist in 1987, 1988 and 1994...

Sam Myers, a blues musician best known as a singer and harmonica player, died July 17 at his home in Dallas, Texas. He was 70. Myers had been with Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets as their featured vocalist since 1986. Collectively, they won nine W.C. Handy awards. He was a drummer with blues great Elmore James from 1952 to 1963 and had performed with many others...

We know they Die in Threes, and we're cautious with our conspiracy theories, but in recent weeks, the names keep piling up in the obituaries. We were in Chicago recently, and for the first time couldn't find a recognizeable name in the Blues Club listings to make it worth the trek to Muddy Waters, Kingston Mines, B.L.U.E.S. or the Checkerboard Lounge. So after Katrina, it just makes us wonder.