Willie Kent
Willie Kent (February 24, 1936[1] – March 2, 2006)[2] was an American Chicago blues singer, bassist and songwriter.
Career
Kent was born in Inverness, Sunflower County, Mississippi. Although he had played the bass guitar in Chicago's clubs since the 1950s, Kent worked full-time in careers other than music until he was over 50 years of age.[3] Following heart surgery, he stopped work as a truck driver, and formed a band.[3]
Kent continued to play live shows, even after being diagnosed with colon cancer in early 2005. He died in Englewood, Illinois in March 2006.[4][5]
Discography
- 1975 – Ghetto (Storyville Records)
- 1989 – I'm What You Need (Big Boy Records)
- 1991 – Ain't It Nice (Delmark Records)
- 1991 – King of Chicago's West Side Blues (Wolf Records)
- 1993 – Live at B.L.U.E.S. in Chicago (Wolf Records)
- 1994 – Too Hurt to Cry (Delmark Records)
- 1996 – Long Way to Ol' Miss (Delmark Records)
- 1998 – Everybody Needs Somebody (Wolf Records)
- 1998 – Make Room for the Blues (Delmark Records)
- 1998 – Who's Been Talking with Lil' Ed Williams (Earwig Music Company)
- 2001 – Comin' Alive! (Blue Chicago Records)
- 2004 – Blues and Trouble (Isabel Records)
Awards and honors
- W.C. Handy Awards: Best Blues Instrumentalist, Bass 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005
- Critics' Choice: Most Outstanding Blues Musician, Bass from Living Blues magazine (1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001)
- Readers' Choice: Album of the Year 2001 from Soul Bag magazine, France, for Comin' Alive
- Critics' Choice: Album of the Year 2001 from Soul Bag magazine, France, for Comin' Alive
- France Blues Award: Best Blues Musician, Bass for the years 2002, 2003
- Chicago's Album of the Year 1998: for Make Room for the Blues
- Library of Congress' Best Blues Recording of the Year 1991: for Ain't It Nice
References
- ^ "RootsWeb: Database Index". Ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
- ^ "Willie Kent obituary". The Times. April 5, 2006. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
- ^ a b Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books Limited. p. 130. ISBN 1-85868-255-X.
- ^ Jason Ankeny. "Willie Kent | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
- ^ Doc Rock. "The Dead Rock Stars Club 2006 January To June". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
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Categories:
- 1936 births
- 2006 deaths
- Chicago blues musicians
- Electric blues musicians
- American blues singers
- American male singers
- Blues bass guitarists
- Blues musicians from Mississippi
- Deaths from colorectal cancer
- Deaths from cancer in California
- 20th-century American singers
- 20th-century American guitarists
- Guitarists from Illinois
- Guitarists from Mississippi
- People from Inverness, Mississippi