New Feature – Check the side bar – Great streaming album – This week’s Artist Johnny Shines

Johnny Nedlee Shines

Born: Tuscaloosa, Alabama

April 25. 2015 – April 20, 1992

Genre Style: Delta Blues

Johnny Shines Jr. was a force of nature in the blues world, single-handedly bridging raw Delta traditions with the electrified, gritty pulse of Chicago. As a young guitarist, he soaked up the mystical aura of the Delta, famously claiming that his mentor Howlin’ Wolf had “exchanged his soul with Lucifer” to unlock his musical powers. Shines later hit the road for wild, unpredictable tours across the U.S. and Canada with the legendary Robert Johnson, playing everywhere from raucous house parties to muddy levee camps. Yet, despite his explosive talent, crooked record deals and industry roadblocks eventually broke his spirit, forcing him to sell his gear and swap his guitar for construction tools. But you can’t keep a true bluesman down. In 1966, Shines staged a spectacular mid-life comeback that rocketed him onto international stages and scored him a Grammy nomination. Even a severe stroke couldn’t silence him; he roared back to play over 200 shows in his final years with unmatched vocal power. Today, he stands shoulder-to-shoulder with titans like Muddy Waters and Elmore James—a fiery legacy celebrated with a Blues Hall of Fame induction and a massive annual festival founded by his daughter to keep his rhythm alive.